Characteristics of sexual aggressors of alcohol and non-alcohol-related assault

In the recent issue of Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, a study examines the alcohol use of adolescents who commit sexual assaults of peers.

Here is the citation and abstract from SafetyLit:

Adolescent peer-on-peer sexual aggression: Characteristics of aggressors of alcohol and non-alcohol-related assault.

Young AM, King L, Abbey A, Boyd CJ. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 2009; 70(5): 700-3.

(Copyright © 2009, Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc., Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of adolescents involved in alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related sexual assault of peers.

METHOD: A Web-based survey was administered to 1,220 7th- to 12th-grade students from a middle school and high school in southeastern Michigan.

RESULTS: Adolescents who reported alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related sexual aggression had higher levels of impulsivity and more extensive histories of dating, early sexual activity, and alcohol consumption than adolescents who did not assault. Moreover, aggressors of alcohol-related assault had higher levels of past-30-day alcohol use and reported more alcohol-/drug-related problems than aggressors of non-alcohol-related assault.

CONCLUSIONS: Early identification of the characteristics associated with alcohol-related sexual aggression suggests that targeted interventions may be feasible for this group of adolescents at high risk for both sexual perpetration and alcoholism during adulthood.