Sexual assault and drug use
Sexual assault, often referred to as date rape or drug-facilitated sexual assault, involves any sexual activity where consent is not freely given. This can encompass a range of actions, including inappropriate touching and various forms of penetration. Drug use, particularly alcohol and specific psychoactive substances, plays a significant role in many sexual assaults, with studies indicating that a substantial percentage of these incidents involve intoxication of the perpetrator or the victim. Commonly known as date rape drugs, substances such as Rohypnol and ketamine may be covertly administered to victims, often in social settings like bars or nightclubs, leading to amnesia and confusion regarding consent.
Victims of sexual assault are primarily female, especially those aged 12 to 34, although men and boys can also be affected. Underreporting of these crimes is prevalent, fueled by feelings of shame and the effects of drugs on memory. The aftermath of sexual assault is often characterized by severe psychological impact, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with significant rates of comorbidity between PTSD and substance abuse among survivors. It is crucial to understand that both the presence of drugs and alcohol do not excuse the perpetration of sexual violence. Addressing the complexities of sexual assault, particularly in the context of drug use, requires sensitive and supportive approaches to victim empowerment and recovery.
Sexual assault and drug use
ALSO KNOWN AS: Date rape; drug-facilitated sexual assault
DEFINITION: Sexual assault is any form of sexual activity, including rape and sexual harassment, where consent is not freely given. Drug use is defined as the use or misuse of any legal or illicit psychoactive, mood-altering chemical, including alcohol, marijuana, stimulants, hallucinogens, benzodiazepines, sedatives, and opiates.
Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, sexual assault includes the nonconsensual acts of inappropriate touching; vaginal, anal, or oral penetration (rape); attempted rape; and child molestation. Sexual assault can be verbal, visual, or involve coercive physical attempts to engage another person in unwanted sexual contact or attention.
Sexual assault often involves the use of psychoactive mood-altering drugs and alcohol. Research varies, but between 30 and 70 percent of all rapes and other forms of sexual assault in a given year in the United States involve alcohol use by the offender. Drug use, in addition to alcohol use, was involved in 18 percent of sexual assaults.
Drug-facilitated sexual assault involves the administration of drugs that usually induce amnesia in the victim. This type of assault often occurs in bars or nightclubs. The drug is usually slipped into an alcoholic beverage without the victim’s knowledge. These drugs are often referred to as date rape drugs, the most common of which are sedative-hypnotics such as gamma hydroxybutyrate, Rohypnol, ketamine, and Soma. Other commonly used drugs in instances of sexual assault include sleep aids, Benadryl, muscle relaxers, tranquilizers, ecstasy, molly, and ketamine.
Date rape is common during college years. Drugs and alcohol play significant roles in date rape, with as many as 75 percent of men and 50 percent of women in college involved in a sexual assault reporting having been under the influence at the time of the assault. In 80 percent of sexual assaults, the victim and perpetrator are known to each other, and more than 50 percent of sexual assaults occur close to the victim’s home. The most common profile of the sex offender is white, male, and thirty-one years old.
Neither drugs nor alcohol excuses a perpetrator from seeking sexual relations without consent. Programs to rehabilitate sex offenders attempt to help the offenders make the distinction that drugs and alcohol do not give license for sexual abuse. Drug and alcohol problems are considered separate from deviant sexual behavior.
Victims of Sexual Assault
The profile of an assault victim is generally female, aged twelve to thirty-four. Girls and women aged sixteen to nineteen are at the highest risk. Boys and men are also can be victims of sexual assault. By the age of eight, one in four girls and one in six boys has been sexually assaulted. Research indicates that at least half of women and one-third of men experience sexual violence. However, crime rates are often misleading when it comes to the statistical reportage of sexual assault and drug use. These crimes are vastly underreported because of a deep sense of shame, embarrassment, and guilt induced in the victim. Another factor leading to underreporting of sexual assault occurs because of the effect of drugs or alcohol on memory. Often, the drugs interfere with the recall of the assault, leaving victims unable to remember if they consented to engage in sex. This amnesia effect is one reason abusers employ date rape drugs.
Post-traumatic Stress and Self-Medication
Sexual assault, including rape, is a leading cause of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In general, women are ten times more likely to be victims of a sexual assault and two to three times more likely than men to develop PTSD. One of the leading risk factors of PTSD is sexual assault, which causes the victim to feel powerless.
Studies consistently demonstrate high rates of comorbidity between PTSD and substance abuse disorder. Specifically, there exists a strong relationship between drug use and victimization through sexual assault. Often, the victim of a sexual assault will use drugs and alcohol to self-medicate the symptoms of the trauma. Rates of substance abuse disorder are as high as 25 to 50 percent of the population of women diagnosed with PTSD, according to the National Comorbidity Study. An Office of Justice Programs report on substance abuse and victimization notes that victims of sexual assault are 5.3 percent more likely than nonvictims to use prescription drugs, 3.4 times more likely to use marijuana, and 10 times more likely to use hard drugs to cope with their assault.
However, there is a tendency to blame the victim because drugs are often involved at the time of sexual assault for both the perpetrator and the victim. This also is true when victimization leads to substance abuse, and the victim is further stigmatized. Research shows that being sexually assaulted puts one at a higher risk for repeated assault. For these reasons, research points to the need for gender-sensitive treatment to address sexual assault, PTSD, victimization, and empowerment.
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