College students' perceptions of positive and negative drinking-related sexual experiences.

Objective: During young adulthood, drinking and sexual behaviors are both normative and inextricably linked. While this association is well documented, little is known about how students define positive and negative drinking-related sexual experiences. Methods: Thirty-five undergraduates participated in a focus group about sexual experiences in the context of drinking. Thematic analysis was utilized to identify themes in the data. Results: Students' descriptions of positive drinking-related sexual encounters included having a good time, feeling safe, maintaining control over alcohol, as well as feeling safe in drinking contexts where sexual partners are located. Students' perceptions of negative experiences included specific consequences such as a damaged reputation, loss of control due to alcohol, and concern of engagement in sex when they or a partner was too intoxicated to consent. Conclusion: Gaining a better understanding of how college students view positive and negative drinking-related sexual experiences could inform interventions aimed at promoting student well-being.

Community-Level Factors As Positive and Negative Correlates of Sexual Aggression Perpetration Among Adolescent Boys.

Often, perpetrators of sexual violence first aggress in their teens. Presently, very little is known about environmental factors that may influence adolescents' engagement in sexual aggression. Drawing upon data collected at 27 high schools in the Northeast United States, this study is the first to test the association between community-level factors and male adolescents' sexual aggression. A series of backward linear regressions determined that 10 of 19 community variables were associated with males' sexual aggression, which were then used to generate a ratio of positive to negative correlates of sexual aggression for each high school. In multilevel analyzes, as hypothesized, the ratio of positive to negative correlates was positively associated with schools' sexual aggression perpetration rates. We discuss the study's implications for future sexual assault research and prevention interventions.

Examining the role of alcohol and cannabis use patterns in bystander opportunity and behavior for sexual and relationship aggression.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the association between alcohol and cannabis use patterns and bystander intervention for sexual and relationship violence risk among college students who have used cannabis in the past year. The study tested two hypotheses: (1) reports of bystander opportunities will differ based on participants' alcohol and cannabis use patterns, and (2) among those who report bystander opportunities, reports of bystander behaviors will differ based on their alcohol and cannabis use patterns. METHOD: Participants were 870 students recruited from two large, minority-serving universities in the United States who reported past year cannabis use. Participants reported about their typical alcohol and cannabis use patterns and bystander opportunities and behaviors. Students were grouped for analysis based on their reported average substance use into four groups: alcohol and cannabis use on the same day, alcohol use only, cannabis use only, or no use. RESULTS: Students who reported alcohol and cannabis use on the same day, compared with those who reported alcohol use only, reported more bystander opportunities and behaviors in situations at risk for sexual and relationship violence. Compared with alcohol use only, students who reported only using cannabis or no use reported fewer bystander opportunities and behavior related to keeping others safe in party settings. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol and cannabis use patterns are associated with bystander intervention, emphasizing the need to include knowledge about cannabis and co-use in bystander programming that aims to reduce sexual and relationship violence.

Interpersonal trauma, shame, and substance use: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Interpersonal trauma is a risk factor for a wide array of adverse mental health outcomes, including substance use. Research has begun investigating the role of shame in the intersection between substance use and interpersonal trauma. The current systematic review summarizes the existing literature documenting the relation among shame, substance use, and interpersonal trauma. METHOD: Articles were collected using a Boolean search strategy of terms related to interpersonal trauma, substance use, and shame across six databases. Independent search and screening by three researchers led to a final review of 27 articles, 15 of which were qualitative studies. RESULTS: Findings highlight robust associations among shame, interpersonal violence, and substance use across varied samples. Findings emphasize that increased shame is associated with greater substance use among survivors of interpersonal violence and elevated shame and greater interpersonal violence are present among individuals who use substances given the high prevalence rates. Burgeoning research suggests that shame mediates the relationship between interpersonal violence and substance use. CONCLUSION: Results from our review suggest that shame may be an important treatment target for individuals presenting with substance use and a history of interpersonal violence. Future studies, with longitudinal designs, are needed to parse out the temporal relation among shame, substance use, and interpersonal violence.

Correlates of Sexual Victimization Among Community College Women.

The current study documents the correlates associated with the severity of sexual victimization among women enrolled in a 2-year community college. Comparisons between women with a history of severe sexual victimization (i.e., rape and attempted rape), moderate sexual victimization (i.e., unwanted contact and sexual coercion), and no history of sexual victimization revealed that women with a history of severe sexual victimization endorsed more drinks per week, increased problem drinking behavior, and more use of drug before sex and higher levels of self-protective dating behaviors compared with women with no history of sexual victimization. These findings suggest that programs should target the intersection of alcohol and drug use as correlates of sexual victimization among community college women.

Looking out for You and Me: College students' Strategies for Preventing Sexual Assault in Drinking Contexts.

Background: Sexual assault and heavy alcohol use are prevalent and interrelated public health concerns on university campuses. Surprisingly, however, few alcohol harm reduction interventions address this intersection to help students reduce both personal and community risks for sexual assault in college drinking contexts. Objectives: In the current study, students (ages 18-24) shared strategies they use to protect themselves and others from sexual assault in college drinking contexts, as well as challenges to implementing these strategies. A series of six focus groups were conducted across two universities in the U.S. (N = 35). Participants responded to open-ended questions focused on drinking and sexual assault (e.g., What are some of the things students might do to avoid or address situations where they feel pressured of coerced to hook up or have sex when they do not want to?). Results: Thematic analyses demonstrated students' awareness of protective behavioral and bystander intervention strategies that could help reduce vulnerability to experience sexual assault for themselves or others in drinking contexts. Perceived barriers to using bystander intervention strategies included student's own and friends' heavy drinking (decreased inhibitions, loss of autonomy), ambiguity in deciphering risk (lack of familiarity, minimization, diffusion of responsibility), and gender (gender norms, power imbalances). Conclusions: This study informs the development of interventions that help students identify strategies and overcome barriers to reduce risks for sexual assault in college drinking contexts.

Associations Among Online Social Reactions to Disclosure of Sexual Victimization, Coping and Social Isolation.

Social reactions to the disclosure of sexual victimization are critical to post-assault recovery. The popular social media hashtag "#MeToo" resulted in numerous survivors of sexual victimization disclosing their experience online. Whereas previous research has examined the association between social reactions to in-person disclosure of sexual victimization and factors commonly associated with adjustment among survivors - such as coping and social support - research is needed to examine correlates of social reactions to online disclosure of sexual victimization. Accordingly, the current study investigated the relationship between online social reactions to the disclosure of sexual victimization via #MeToo and engagement in various coping strategies (problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping) and social isolation among a sample of 195 adults with a history of sexual victimization. Results indicated that the provision of online resources was associated with lower use of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies. Receipt of online emotional and informational support was associated with increased use of emotion-focused coping strategies. Further, receipt of online social reactions that turned against the survivor and receipt of online social reactions that "made fun of you, insulted you, or said something to hurt you" were associated with higher levels of social isolation. Lastly, online unsupportive acknowledgment and "sharing your tweet with other people" were associated with lower levels of social isolation. Results highlight how online social reactions to disclosure of sexual victimization via #MeToo intersect with coping and social support among survivors of sexual victimization and help to give context to the experience of online disclosure of sexual victimization.

Cross-sectional examination of correlates of sexual victimization disclosure via #MeToo.

Background: Sexual victimization is a serious public health problem, with a range of negative impacts on mental and physical health. Responses that individuals get to disclosure of sexual victimization play an important role in recovery. With the increased use of social media, more survivors are talking about their experiences of sexual victimization online. Research is needed to document the correlates of online disclosure of sexual victimization.Objective: The current study examined the role of demographic characteristics, assault severity, coping strategies, and social isolation as putative correlates of disclosing sexual victimization online via the hashtag #MeToo.Methods: A sample of 637 adults recruited via social media who reported a history of sexual victimization since the age of 14 completed self-report surveys using online survey software to assess disclosure of sexual victimization, assault severity, coping strategies, and social isolation.Results: Multivariate analyses suggest that levels of emotion-focused coping were positively associated with the disclosure of sexual victimization online via #MeToo. Further, individuals who had experienced completed rape by verbal coercion were less likely to disclose via #MeToo, compared to individuals who experienced other forms of assault.Conclusion: Coping strategies and assault severity play an important role in determining whether survivors disclose sexual victimization online via #MeToo. Findings suggest that individuals may disclose via #MeToo to seek support or express their emotions. Further, individuals whose sexual victimization experiences do not conform to 'typical' sexual victimization experiences are less likely to disclose via #MeToo.

HIGHLIGHTSGreater reported use of emotion-focused coping is associated with an increased likelihood of disclosing via #MeToo.Individuals who experienced completed rape by verbal coercion were less likely to disclose via #MeToo, compared to individuals who experienced other forms of assault.Findings highlight the need to further investigate correlates of disclosure via #MeToo.

How Do Bystanders Help in Drinking Situations: The Bystanders to Alcohol Risk Scale--Strategies.

OBJECTIVE: Bystander intervention (BI) is a promising approach for promoting collective behavior change that has been applied to several domains, including sexual assault, bullying, and more recently, problematic alcohol use. Accurately measuring the strategies that bystanders use to reduce others' alcohol-related risk is an essential step toward improving bystanders' ability to reduce alcohol-related harm in their communities, but current measures of BI are not easily modifiable and applicable for alcohol-related BI. The current study aimed to develop a valid and reliable measure of the bystander construct most proximal to the reduction of risk: bystander strategies. METHOD: Young adults (N = 1,011) who reported being around someone who showed signs of alcohol intoxication in the past 3 months were recruited via Qualtrics Panels to participate in an online survey; a subsample (n = 345) completed a 2-week follow-up. Psychometric evaluation included exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, item response theory analyses, convergent validity, and test-retest reliability. RESULTS: An initial set of 52 items was reduced to 17 items, representing two different factors. The first factor, Level 1, reflected strategies used during circumstances of acute risk. The second factor, Level 2, reflected strategies used to reduce risk for more longstanding problems with alcohol. Both factors demonstrated good model fit, strong internal consistency, evidence of convergent validity, and moderate test-retest reliability. CONCLUSIONS: This novel measure can contribute to the production of knowledge about the use and efficacy of peer-focused strategies and the value of BI training for alcohol use.

Emotion Regulation Difficulties Moderate the Association Between Typical Drinking and Sexual Assault Victimization Among Sexual and Gender Minority University Students.

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) students report higher alcohol consumption, emotion regulation difficulties, and sexual assault victimization severity than cisgender, heterosexual individuals. A sample of 754 undergraduate students completed an online survey assessing alcohol use, emotion regulation, and sexual victimization. Regression analyses indicated that, among SGM students with higher emotion regulation difficulties, typical weekly drinking was positively associated with sexual assault victimization severity, but among cisgender, heterosexual students and SGM students with lower emotion regulation difficulties, there was no association between drinking and victimization severity. Thus, SGM students benefit from interventions targeting alcohol use and emotion regulation difficulties.

Qualitative Analysis of Bystander Intervention Among Young Adult Male Soldiers Who Engage in At-Risk Drinking.

Bystander intervention-when someone intervenes to help in situations that pose a risk for harm-is a promising strategy for sexual violence prevention. In the current study, a sample of U.S. Army male soldiers (N = 10; ages 18-24) who engaged in at-risk drinking completed a 90-min individual semi-structured interview to understand the ways in which soldiers intervene to address risk for sexual violence. Two independent raters coded soldier responses using thematic analysis and identified eight main themes: (a) recognizing risk for sexual violence; (b) labeling situations as problematic and taking responsibility; (c) facilitators of intervention; (d) barriers to intervention; (e) intervention strategies; (f) reactions and consequences to intervention; (g) alcohol's influence on intervention; and (h) using bystander intervention to shift cultural norms. As soldiers reported noticing more extreme risks for violence, prevention interventions may help service members identify situations earlier in the continuum of harm. Soldiers anticipated intervening in a way that was physical and aggressive, which could facilitate physical altercation and result in collateral misconduct. Results from the present study reveal ways that bystander intervention programs for civilians can be tailored to address the unique individual, situational, and contextual factors relevant to the military. These findings also highlight the importance of teaching soldiers indirect and nonaggressive strategies for intervention.

Disclosure of traumatic details and obsessive-compulsive contamination symptoms in sexual assault survivors.

OBJECTIVE: Contamination concerns are common following sexual victimization and are associated with increased attentional bias and difficulty disengaging from contamination cues. While most survivors of sexual trauma disclose their experience to others, it is unclear whether disclosure increases feelings of contamination or whether, consistent with the fever model of disclosure, existing contamination-related distress increases the amount of content shared during disclosure, indicative of attentional bias toward contamination-inducing aspects of the trauma memory. METHOD: Accordingly, the current study examined the directionality and relationships between contamination symptoms and content shared during sexual assault disclosure in 106 sexual assault survivors (76.4% women). Forced decision regression with subsequent independence test (RESIT) was used to identify directionality of relationships, and multivariate and linear regressions examined these proposed effects in the presence of assault and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: More severe contamination symptoms predicted greater sharing of details during sexual assault disclosure yet had no impact on sharing of emotions, cognitions, and beliefs during disclosures. Although RESIT suggested that contrary to other content domains, disclosure of social experiences may directionally predict contamination symptoms, this relationship did not retain statistical significance in a linear regression model. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the fever model of disclosure and attentional bias theories regarding contamination-related stimuli, and suggest that survivors experiencing postassault contamination symptoms may be more likely fixate on the contamination-invoking details of the trauma memory when disclosing. Such fixation has the potential to interfere with typical treatment-related processes (e.g., habituation) and should be thoughtfully addressed to maximize treatment gains. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Role of Alexithymia in the Association Between Childhood Abuse and Risk Perception for Sexual Victimization in College Women.

Sexual victimization is prevalent among college women with a history of childhood abuse (CA), which some research suggests is linked to impaired risk perception for sexual victimization or difficulties identifying and responding to unwanted sexual advances. Alexithymia is one construct yet to be examined in the association between CA and risk perception for sexual victimization. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the associations between CA, alexithymia, and risk perception for sexual victimization in a sample of college women with a history of CA. Participants included 294 undergraduate women with a history of childhood emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse (Mage = 20.6, 80.6% White). An a priori path analysis was conducted to examine whether alexithymia indirectly explains the association between CA and risk perception for sexual victimization (i.e., comprising two related constructs, including threat detection and behavioral response to threat). Supplementary analyses were conducted post hoc to examine potential differences across CA subtypes (emotional, physical, and sexual). Alexithymia indirectly explained the relationship between CA and threat detection, and behavioral response to threat. However, indirect effects were negative, suggesting that undergraduate women with more severe CA and alexithymia identify sexual assault threat cues and intentions to "leave" a hypothetical sexual assault scenario sooner rather than later. The same pattern of results was observed for emotional and physical (but not sexual) CA when examining their indirect effects on threat detection, and for emotional CA when examining behavioral response to threat. Findings contribute to the literature on sexual victimization by clarifying the role of alexithymia in risk perception for sexual victimization. Results also highlight the potential utility of increasing emotional literacy among college women with a history of CA (and especially emotional abuse) to facilitate adaptive responding to unwanted sexual advances.

Advancing a Comprehensive Multilevel Approach to Sexual Violence Prevention Using Existing Efficacious Programs.

ABSTRACT: Sexual violence (SV) is a serious and long-standing public health problem on college campuses. At institutions of higher education, campus administrators, activists, and practitioners have worked for decades to address campus SV. Despite federally mandated campus SV prevention programming, rates of campus SV remain unchanged. The purpose of this commentary is to outline a strategy for enhancing campus SV prevention efforts using a comprehensive multilevel approach utilizing existing efficacious programs. The following three strategies for implementing optimal campus SV prevention are proposed, which include (a) the need to prioritize efficacy, (b) targeting multiple levels of the social ecology, and (c) leveraging the benefits of in-person programming and technology-driven prevention. A call to action is included for both institutions of higher education administrators and practitioners to implement and invest in comprehensive multilevel interventions using existing, efficacious SV programs, ideally combining a technology-based program with an in-person component. Furthermore, a coordinated effort between prevention and response is needed to achieve successful prevention of campus SV and revictimization, including a connection with the community for postassault interventions. Thus, implementing multilevel interventions on college campuses using existing evidence-based programs in combination with a coordinated community response of postassault interventions can bring the campus community together and is optimal to moving the needle on rates of campus SV.

The association between alcohol use and sexual assault victimization among college students differs by gender identity and race.

PURPOSE: Alcohol use and sexual assault (SA) are common on college campuses. The purpose of this study is to examine if the association between alcohol use and SA differs by gender identity, sexual orientation, race, or ethnicity. METHODS: A total of 3,243 college students aged 18-25 at two large, minority-serving, public universities in the southwest and southeast United States completed an online survey about alcohol and sexual behaviors. Two negative binomial regressions were conducted to examine main effects and interaction effects. RESULTS: Almost half of the sample reported a SA victimization history. The main effects negative binomial regression indicated that more drinks per week, older age, identifying as a cisgender woman (vs. cisgender man), identifying as a gender minority (vs. cisgender man), and identifying as a sexual minority (vs. heterosexual) were associated with more severe SA victimization. Participants who identified as Latine (vs. non-Latine White) reported less severe SA. The negative binomial regression assessing interactions indicated that the association between alcohol use and SA severity was stronger among cisgender women and gender minority identities than cisgender men, and Black identities than non-Latine White identities. CONCLUSION: Findings suggests that alcohol use is an important factor for SA severity among all students, but that the association is stronger among some with marginalized identities. Given that perpetrators target people who hold some marginalized identities, prevention programming could address cisnormative, heteronormative, and White normative ideas about alcohol and sex to attain social justice and health equity.

Measuring Exposure to the Hazardous Drinking of Others and Perceived Opportunity to Intervene as a Bystander.

OBJECTIVE: Excessive alcohol use is very prevalent among young adults, and consequences of drinking are often observed by witnesses. Understanding the circumstances under which witnesses of risky alcohol use help others and whether they perceive these circumstances as an opportunity to engage in bystander intervention are important, but valid measures of these constructs are needed. The current study is a psychometric evaluation of the Exposure to Hazardous Drinking in Others (EHDO) scale and a single-item indicator of Perceived Alcohol-Related Bystander Opportunity (PARBO). METHOD: Young adults (N = 1,011; 46.0% women) who reported being around someone who showed signs of alcohol intoxication in the past 3 months were recruited via Qualtrics Panels. The initial item set for the EHDO was developed through qualitative methods and reflected observed or reported risks or consequences. Factor analyses and Item Response Theory analyses were used to reduce and categorize EHDO items, and construct validity was assessed for the EHDO and the PARBO item. RESULTS: An initial set of 33 EHDO items was reduced to 21, representing two factors: Situational Risk Signs and Problematic Pattern. Both factors demonstrated good model fit, internal consistency, and evidence of convergent validity. The PARBO item showed good construct validity but was distinct from the EHDO. CONCLUSIONS: These instruments are useful for measuring secondhand alcohol risks in a community and are particularly applicable for evaluating bystander intervention for alcohol risk.

Correlates of College Women's Sexual Assault Resistance Self-Efficacy.

Studies suggest that actively fighting back against an attacker is effective in decreasing the severity and completion of a sexual assault, yet little is known about the factors that contribute to women's confidence in fighting back. Accordingly, the present study examines correlates of college women's self-efficacy in resisting unwanted sexual advances (N = 650). Results suggest that fewer psychological barriers to resistance, greater sexual communication, increased use of dating self-protective behaviors, and greater sexual assertiveness were associated with increased sexual resistance self-efficacy. Findings underscore the importance of developing sexual assault prevention programs that increase women's confidence in fighting back.

The impact of exposure to physical and sexual violence on opioid consequences among trauma-exposed individuals recruited from the community who use opioids.

Interpersonal violence and opioid use disorder are significant and intersecting public health concerns in the USA. The current study evaluated the consequences associated with opioid use (e.g., physical, social, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and impulse control) as a function of a history of exposure to interpersonal trauma, specifically physical and sexual violence. Participants were 84 trauma-exposed individuals recruited from the community who use opioids (M age = 43.5 50% men; 55% white). Whereas no significant differences emerged in the consequences of opioid use based on a history of physical violence, individuals with a history of sexual violence demonstrated higher levels of impulsive consequences of opioid use compared to individuals without a history of sexual violence. These data highlight the importance of considering the role of exposure to sexual violence in the context of opioid use disorder treatment.

Alcohol-involved sexual assault in the US military: a scoping review.

Background: Sexual assault and alcohol use are significant public health concerns, including for the United States (US) military. Although alcohol is a risk factor for military sexual assault (MSA), research on the extent of alcohol-involvement in MSAs has not been synthesised.Objective: Accordingly, this scoping review is a preliminary step in evaluating the existing literature on alcohol-involved MSAs among US service members and veterans, with the goals of quantifying the prevalence of alcohol-involved MSA, examining differences in victim versus perpetrator alcohol consumption, and identifying additional knowledge gaps.Method: In accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for Scoping Reviews, articles in this review were written in English, published in 1996 or later, reported statistics regarding alcohol-involved MSA, and included samples of US service members or veterans who experienced MSA during military service.Results: A total of 34 of 2436 articles identified met inclusion criteria. Studies often measured alcohol and drug use together. Rates of reported MSAs that involved the use of alcohol or alcohol/drugs ranged from 14% to 66.1% (M = 36.94%; Mdn = 37%) among servicemen and from 0% to 83% (M = 40.27%; Mdn = 41%) among servicewomen. Alcohol use was frequently reported in MSAs, and there is a dearth of information on critical event-level characteristics of alcohol-involved MSA. Additionally, studies used different definitions and measures of MSA and alcohol use, complicating comparisons across studies.Conclusion: The lack of event-level data, and inconsistencies in definitions, measures, and sexual assault timeframes across articles demonstrates that future research and data collection efforts require more event-level detail and consistent methodology to better understand the intersection of alcohol and MSA, which will ultimately inform MSA prevention and intervention efforts.

A total of 34 of 2436 articles identified met inclusion criteria. Studies often measured alcohol and drug use together. Rates of reported military sexual assaults that involved the use of alcohol or alcohol/drugs ranged from 14% to 66.1% (M = 36.94%; Mdn = 37%) among servicemen and from 0% to 83% (M = 40.27%; Mdn = 41%) among servicewomen.More precise prevalence estimates of the intersection between alcohol and military sexual assault were limited due to inconsistencies in the definitions of sexual assault and alcohol use, measures of sexual assault and alcohol use, and timeframe for reporting across studies.Future research should standardise the measures, definitions, and timeframes of sexual assault and alcohol-involvement to allow for a more precise estimation of alcohol-involved military sexual assault. Furthermore, event-level data is needed including amount and timeframe of alcohol consumption, relationship between victim and perpetrator, location of alcohol consumption and military sexual assault, and whether the assault was opportunistic or facilitated, to inform military sexual assault prevention and intervention efforts in the military.