Numerous cross-sectional studies have found a direct positive association between distal and proximal measures of alcohol consumption and sexual assault perpetration.
Although very few survey researchers have examined potential mediating effects, the results thus far are promising regarding sexual dominance, enjoyment of casual sexual relationships, misperception of women's sexual intentions, and perceived peer approval of forced sex as mediating the relationship between alcohol consumption and sexual assault perpetration.
Although very few survey researchers have examined variables that might interact with alcohol to exacerbate or diminish its relationship to sexual assault perpetration, the results thus far are promising for hostile sexism (exacerbate) and mindfulness (diminish).
Although very few survey researchers have examined the association between alcohol consumption during the incident and sexual assault severity, the results suggest that perpetrators' consumption is associated with more severe sexual assaults.
Only a few survey researchers have examined alcohol as a prospective predictor of sexual aggression and these studies have produced conflicting results, perhaps due to different analytic approaches and frequency of alcohol measurement.
Alcohol administration studies that use written vignettes have not found main effects of participants' alcohol consumption on self-reported willingness to use force if in a similar situation; however, several studies have found alcohol's effects are mediated by perceptions of the woman's sexual arousal and participants' anger.
Some alcohol administration studies that use videotapes have found main effects of participants' alcohol consumption on self-reported willingness to use force if in a similar situation. These studies have also found interactions of alcohol consumption with measures of sexual dominance, hostility toward women, and misperception of women's sexual cues, such that intoxicated men with high scores are most likely to say they would use force.
Alcohol administration studies that use an audiotape have found main effects of participants' alcohol consumption on the length of time it takes them to decide the man should quit pressuring the woman to have sex. These are the only studies that find effects of expecting to drink alcohol.
