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Drunkenness and sexual victimization A general population study of teenage girls . Preliminary results. Hilde Pape Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research Statens institutt for rusmiddelforskning (SIRUS ). In 2010 / 2011, Oslo was rocked by a wave of rapes.
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Drunkenness and sexual victimizationA general population study of teenage girls Preliminary results Hilde Pape Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research Statens institutt for rusmiddelforskning (SIRUS)
x «’Take back thenight’ is theclaim, but [... ] oneshouldrathercallout ‘boycottthenight’» Margrete Geelmuyden, Aften 2/11- 2011
Indeed, alcoholusecorrelateswith rape / sexualassault Someevidence from aggregatelevel studies, e.g. US state-level data: 10% increase in alcoholconsumption → 7% increase in theincidenceof rapes(Cook & More 1993) Individuallevel studies: Solid evidenceof cross-sectionalassociations e.g. US nationalstudyof college women: Frequent HED → OR 5 ofreporting rape (Mohler-Kou et al 2004) Event-level data: Rapes / sexualassaults; alcoholtypicallyinvolved(survey data + police reports)
Analyses of all cases of rape registrered by thepolicein Oslo (2010)
Event data: The victims’ useofalcohol «Manyofthosewho report party-relatedrapes, hadblack-out during thenight and areunable to remember whathappened» Altogether, - 65% had used substances - 47% had used alcoholonly Stranger attack rapes; «Typically, thevictim is intoxicated and on her wayhome at night»
Alcoholuse as a proximal risk factor The contextofdrinking– presenceofpotentialperpetrators (weaksocialcontrol / noguardianship) Effectsofintoxication - Impairment: Reducedabillity to recognize and respond to sexualassault risk
Alcoholuse as a proximal risk factor The contextofdrinking– presenceofpotentialperpetrators (weaksocialcontrol / noguardianship) Effectsofintoxication - Impairment: Reducedabillity to recognize and respond to sexualassault risk - Incapacitation: Inability to resist (or consent to) sexualactivity «Economicsofcrime»: Severe drunkennessincreasesvictimvulnerability and reducestheexpectedcostof rape to potentialoffenders
Research onincapacitatedsexualassault(ISA) Little research; studies of US college students predominate (convenience samples / low rr) Abstainers + non-binge drinkers included in the analyses (How age is related to ISA among youth who binge drink is unknown) Lifetime ISA → current drinking / PTSD, mental health “outcomes”(Simple bi-variate analyses) Apart from studies on the role of alcohol; almost no research has ran the risk of revealing that sexual assault vicims differ from “ideal victims” i.e. “those who, when hit by crime, most readily are given the complete and legitimate status of being a victim” (Christie 1986: 18) No study on the associations between personality traits and ISA. Yet, one may assume that impulsivity and related traits increase the risk. The association between an early onset of drinking and ISA supports this assumption
Aims • To examine the prevalence of ISA among teenage girls in Norway and to explore how it varies with drinking behavior and age • To test the assumption that impulsivity is related to ISA • To examine the association between an early onset of drinking and ISA, taking impulsivity into account • To assess associations between ISA and other alcohol-related outcomes • To assess associations between ISA and involvement in problem behaviour(illegal drug use / delinquency)
Sample A school survey in 16 Norwegian municipalities (2006) Full cohortsof students Response rate: 85% Analyses of 15-18 year-oldgirls Non-binge drinkers exluded Impulsivity (Plutnick 1989) : Sum score based on 6 items
Measures Incapacitatedsexualassault(ISA) – pastyear: Beensexuallyassaultedwithoutbeingable to resistbecauseyouwereverydrunk Frequencyofintoxicationpastyear Severe drunkenness- How often during thepastyear have you… .. beenso drunkthatyoucould not stand upright? (motor impairment) .. beensomewherewithoutremeberinghowyougotthere? (blackout) Age at first alcoholintoxication Impulsivity(Plutnick 1989): 6 items – sum-score Behaviours in relation to drinking– pastyear - Involved in fights - Vandalism - Drink driving - Voluntary sex thatone later regretted Illegal druguse, Police contact due to delinqueny – pastyear Impulsivity (Plutnick 1989) : Sum score based on 6 items Compositemeasure Averagingthefrequencyof motor impairment and blackout
Prevalenceofincapacitatedsexualassault(ISA) N=3832 N=2702 N=3128
Prevalenceofincapacitatedsexualassault(ISA) 15 yr-olds: 57% 16 yr-olds: 63% 17 yr-olds: 76% 18 yr-olds: 83 % N=3832 N=2702 N=3128
PrevalenceofISA by age The resultdidnotreflect age differences in thefrequencyofintoxication:
However, symptoms ofsevere drunkennesswereinverselyrelated to age Mean freq. The effectof age on ICA, taking severe drunkennessintoaccount; *** p<0.0001 **p<0.01
However, symptoms ofsevere drunkennesswereinverselyrelated to age Mean freq. The effectof age on ICA, taking severe drunkennessintoaccount; *** p<0.0001 **p<0.01
Impulsivity and ISA % High level of impulsivity mean sumscore >2.5 (scale:1.00-4.00) *** p<0.0001 *p<0.05
Earlyonsetofdrinking and ISA When controlling for thefrequencyofintoxication, severe drunkenness and age, theeffectofearlydrinkingonseton ISA remainedsignificant: OR=1.62 (1.10-2.37) But adding ‘impulsivity’ to themodel made a difference (∆ -2 log likelihood: 24.5 (1) p<0.0001) *** p<0.0001 **p<0.01 *p<0.05
ISA and otheralcohol-related problems: Differencesbetweenvictims and non-victims
ISA and otheralcohol-related problems: Differencesbetweenvictims and non-victims
ISA and otheralcohol-related problems: Differencesbetweenvictims and non-victims ***Different from non-victims; p>0.0001
Illegal druguse and policecontact(delinquency) Differencesbetweenvictims and non-victimsof ISA ***Different from non-victims; p>0.0001
Concludingremarks • ISA victimization is not a marginal phenomenon among teenage girls in Norway • Due to their increased tendency to get severely drunk, the youngest teenagers have an elevated risk • Impulsivity is related to ISA victimization, as is involvement in alcohol-related problem behaviours. • Illegal drug use is more prevalent among victims than non-victims of ISA, does not reflect differences in alcohol use • Cause and effect?