Wake-up To Alcohol

In an article printed today in the Kentucky Kernel ("Study: Binge drinking, sexual assaults mix too often" by Mallory Moore), the title hits the point right on target. However, the article itself fails to follow the disturbing points from the research. The majority of the article focused on binge drinking. However, the study showed how students were frequently using alcohol as a date rape drug (30-40% of males admitted doing so). The one paragraph from the article that states the findings of the study said:

According to a study at Indiana State University, 40 percent of male students play drinking games to take sexual advantage of their opponents. Another 30 percent play because they're trying to get their opponent drunk enough to have sex, and 20 percent said they assaulted an opponent after a drinking game.

Here is the news story. Two years ago, date rape drugs were getting tons of attention from major media sources. People were talking about how dangerous date rape drugs are and how to be "safe" when going out to drink socially. During that time, many of us activists in the field of sexual assault education were saying, "Is everyone forgetting about alcohol? The #1 Date Rape Drug ever to exist is alcohol. If a person wouldn't engage in the sexual act with you sober and so you use alcohol to change their state of mind, you are using a drug to influence the minds of another person -- the very definition of a date rape drug." We must admit that alcohol is #1 Date Rape Drug and it is being used throughout society at a much higher rate than GHB, Royhpnol, and other date rape drugs.

The study shows how common it is for people to use alcohol as a way to sexually assault another person. We even see media images promoting this concept. In the recent movie "40 year old Virgin," the main character is told by his buddy to find the drunk woman and start your sexual experience with her (it was suppose to be a humorous part of the movie). Think about the fact that lots of people probably did laugh during that scene. Thus, showing how we live in a "rape culture." Our society does not understand how tragic the crime of sexual assault is. In the study mentioned previously, a high percentage of males admit to intentionally using alcohol to drug a partner into sexual activity.

Hopefully, a major media news outlet will grab onto this study and help America wake up to the reality of how alcohol is being used to rape women and men throughout our society. Parents, schools, and colleges need to teach students why this issue is vitally important to all of us .. We must begin by teaching why consent is the key element to healthy intimacy. Consent ideally means two people making a comfortable and wanted decision together when both are in a healthy state of mind (not intoxicated). If every student believed in the importance of conset and that he or she must obtain consent before engaging in a sexual act, you would not see the use of alcohol so prevalent as a date rape drug. Why? Because students would know that they cannot receive consent from a drunk person and would not want to intentionally hurt another person.

If we had more comprehensive education on sexual assault, students would realize how traumatic and horrifying this crime is to both survivors and the people around them. Society consistently says that murder and rape are the two most horrific crimes. You don't see many people who would ever brag about killing someone. However, you do frequently hear students (from middle school to high school) who brag about "I got her so drunk, I _____ her" -- bragging about taking advantage of another person. Bragging about being a rapist.

Our society must speak loud and clear to address how serious of a problem we have with the combination of sexual assault and alcohol. We can't simply say sexual assault is a horrific crime and then not do anything about it. Start by teaching respect for human life, the need to always have consent, and by looking out for others. If you want to help make make an impact, download the "Pledge to Protect" from www.thedatesafeproject.org and help others join the mission to make a difference!

Link