Alcohol and Sexual Assault: The Role of Gender and Ethnicity

Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice 1
INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
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Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice 2
Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice
Sexual assault is frequently regarded as a concealed criminal act since the majority of the
cases do not fit the alien rape model plus are not at all reported to the concerned authorities.
Nearly half of all the recorded sexual assaults are linked to the executor’s alcohol use, the
victim’s alcohol use, or both. Sexual assault linked to alcohol is a widespread occurrence
amongst campus students. Sexual assaults are most probable to take place in environments
someplace alcohol is taken like parties and bars. The potential perpetrators look for such
environment as a means of finding susceptible persons. Alcohol must be seen as risk factors for
unwanted sexual advances along with some kinds of sexual assault. The excessive alcohol use
amongst college students has been researched extensively and alcohol has been seen as
contributing factor for unplanned. In addition, gender and racial minorities have been confirmed
to report high prevalence of sexual assault in the society (Abbey, Zawacki, Buck, Clinton &
McAuslan, 2004, pp. 272). This implies that apart from alcohol, gender and race increase cases
of sexual assault in the society. Rational choice theory (RCT) will offer an appropriate platform
to develop the argument on the connection amid alcohol use and sexual assault (Agnew, 2006,
pp. 102). This essay will assert that there is a significant association amid sexual harassment plus
alcohol, additionally race, as well as gender plays a huge protagonist.
Alcohol impacts the rate of sexual assault amongst women, especially at the college
level. Many studies have reported increasing cases of sexual assault amongst college women that
has been attributed to binge drinking that latter result in the assault mainly in the drinking
environment and at the college environments. In Mexico and United States (US), studies
approximate that around 40-52 per cent of women experience sexual assault by an intimate

Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice 3
partner where they have been sexually forced by that partner. According to Australia Bureau of
Statistics (ABS), victim of sexual physical attack were more probable to consider that alcohol
plus other substance consumed resulted to the more current occurrence they encountered if the
perpetrator was an ally (76 per cent). The incident was considerably greater than general
percentage of sufferers of physical assault who considered alcohol, as well as any other drug
resulted in the latest incident (59 per cent). It has been established that by the time they graduate,
nearly 20 per cent of college women will become victims of sexual assault, overpoweringly of a
fellow classmate. The statistics further show that over 80 per cent of college sexual assaults
involve alcohol (Freedman, 2013, pp. 1). These statistics show that the higher number of college
women in Australia experience sexual assault that is mainly attributed to alcohol consumption.
Also, in many instances, gender has played a leading role in the sexual assault. This is evident in
that women at the college level are seen by the men at the college level as “sex” objects that will
result into the assault. This is basically the attitude of the men towards women and not alcohol
alone (Abbey, Zawacki, Buck, Clinton & McAuslan, 2004, pp. 274). This trend can be explained
by the rational choice theory (RCT) better in that this behaviour at the college can be attributed
to earlier victimization of these female students at the college that is supported by rational choice
theory (Agnew, 2006, pp. 103). Young children will encounter greater degree of stress over
distressing situations since they cannot behaviourally evade the incident plus they do not have
the capability to tolerate with the element of victimization (Jang & Johnson, 2003). When the
individuals grown up, they will have a range of internalizing and externalizing problem such as
binge drinking that will result in sexual assault by men in the college.