Integrating Alcohol Myopia and Objectification to Understand Sexual Assault

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Abstract It is well established that sexual violence causes varied and severe health problems for women, including PTSD, depression, substance use, and suicidal ideation. Furthermore, alcohol use is inextricably linked to sexual violence, with the majority of sexual assaults occurring when the perpetrator, victim, or both have been drinking. This public health problem has generated a tremendous amount of research interest in recent years, focused mostly on identifying broad risk factors associated with this phenomenon. Yet, it remains unclear when, why, and for whom alcohol causes sexual assault perpetration or victimization. Developing new etiological models of alcohol-involved sexual violence is critical for the creation of effective programs to reduce sexual assault risk. In response to this significant need, the present project integrates previous research on factors associated with alcohol-involved sexual assault, with research on how intoxication alters attention and social perceptions in ways that increase the risk of sexual aggression and victimization. Specifically, this project examines how alcohol intoxication on the part of a male perpetrator impairs attentional capacity and leads to a narrowing of the perceptual field causing a dehumanizing perspective of women as sexual objects for men's pleasure rather than individuals with thoughts and feelings, thereby increasing the propensity for sexual aggression. The present research also examines whether women's responses to this sexual objectification from men interfere with risk perception in sexual situations, particularly when women are drinking, increasing the likelihood of sexual victimization. These propositions will be tested in the context of two carefully controlled laboratory studies. Together, these studies will provide a comprehensive test of our proposed model of alcohol-involved sexual assault that includes situation-specific mechanisms and key moderators of sexual violence. Findings from this project will inform prevention programs that can reduce the deleterious health problems associated with alcohol-involved sexual violence.