Rape and Alcohol : The Connection Explained

Did you know that the most common date rape drug is alcohol? Though there are a few prescribed sleeping aids also found to be used, alcohol remains the most common drug used in substance abuse related sexual crimes. An alcohol treatment center that has four date rape victims undergoing treatment states the very fact that alcohol is commonly available and legal makes it an easy tool by the offender to use on the victim

With the courts agreeing to embrace sexual assault as a broader form to take into purview rape committed by both sexes, it is obvious that though men are known to practice this, women too use alcohol as a tool to sexually assault men. Also since alcohol can be encouraged enough to drink in order to lose inhibition makes it easy for offenders to use. One thing to note is that even if the person (the victim) agrees for consensual sex, it is still rape when it is proved beyond doubt that the victims sense of judgment was impaired or affected by alcohol.

A study shows that 40 percent of women who were raped had their drinks spiked with sedatives. 53 percent of women have confessed in a study that they were forced into a sexual act by their partner who was drunk, at least at one point of times in their lives. Also men tend to equate a woman who drinks and wear revealing attire, as someone who can be an easy lay. In fact a man who goes with a woman for a round of drinks has an increased sense of surety that sex will happen. This is what a man even confessed during a counseling session in a leading alcohol treatment center.

A woman who is drunk does not realize that her friendly behavior is being perceived as seductive after drinking. Yes, she does lose her inhibitions but her mind is not focused on what is happening around her. For instance, she may not know that her male partner is taking her to an isolated place or encouraging her to drink some more. Alcohol consumption can also reduce the ability of a woman to resist a sexual assault, either verbally or physically.

A bewildering statistic shows that 40 percent of men feel that it is fine to force themselves on a woman who is drunk. 75 percent of men who are charged for date rape think that women drink in order to seduce and appear bewitching to the men. Now the point of all these statistics is that that though dates rapists should be given their due punishment, adult women who are sexually assaulted while being drunk, are also partially responsible for what happens.

There is a school of thought that believes that the male offender is less responsible for rape when he is intoxicated as compared to when he was sober. In contrast, the female victim is perceived do to be more responsible while being intoxicated for this illegal act, than when she is reported as being sober. However, the woman who has been drinking and subsequently got raped will never be blamed legally for the rape. Rape is the offence of the rapist but the woman is responsible for drinking. So avoid being in a state or condition that fosters such acts. If you are addicted to alcohol, make sure that you check into an alcohol treatment center