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those of the author and do not
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Prevention Action Alliance
The
Link between Underage Drinking and Sexual Assault
A recent news story illustrates the link between underage drinking and
sexual assault. Regardless of the final charges, this story provides a
teachable moment for adults, an important reminder that there's a
strong connection between alcohol and sexual assault.
We don't want to make conclusions that aren't supported yet about the
woman's guilt or innocence or whether she used alcohol to aid the
alleged sexual assault; she is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Regardless of what she may have done, there is a strong connection
between alcohol and sexual assault.
As we wrote about in one of our Know! Parent Tips, alcohol is the drug
most used to facilitate sexual assault, and it's used in half of all
sexual assaults. Additionally, it inhibits a teen's ability to:
Think clearly,
Set limits and make good choices,
Think about long-term consequences and control impulses,
Determine when a situation is dangerous,
Say "no" to sexual advances, and
Fight back if a sexual assault occurs.
Sadly, when an underage victim was drinking, they often don't feel safe
going to the police to report the assault, which contributes to under
reporting and may lead to further assaults.
Events like these are traumatic and awful, and they often shake a
community to its core. People are often left wondering "What do we do
to stop this from happening again?".
That's where you come in.
You know that frank and honest conversations with your community and
between parents and kids can help prevent them from occurring in the
first place, as can enforcing laws and policies that prevent underage
drinking.
You know that preventing underage drinking will dramatically improve
the health outcomes of teens, reduce sexual assaults, and lower
instances of violence.
You know that underage drinking contributes to thousands of deaths and
hundreds of thousands of injuries each year.
You know these things, and you know that the time to start doing them
is now, not after the next tragedy.
We encourage you to continue the work that you're doing. Protecting the
health and safety of young people in your community is important, and
we're proud to stand with coalitions like yours.
Thank you for the work that you do, and for the opportunity to work
alongside you.
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