Sexual Assault and Alcohol Use among College Students: A Critical Review of the Literature

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the extant literature on the relationship between alcohol and sexual assault among college students. A literature search was conducted using the following databases: PubMed, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), PsycINFO, JSTOR, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Key search terms included sexual assault, alcohol, and college students. A total of 23 articles met inclusion criteria, the plurality (47.8%) of which were cross-sectional and featured convenience samples (43.5%). All studies were conducted at public higher education institutions in the United States. The most salient crosscutting themes included perceived low risk for sexual assault among female college students, higher likelihood of severe sexual assault among women who consumed more alcohol, and general information about polysubstance use and sexual assault risk. Methodological shortcomings included an overreliance on convenience sampling, lack of reporting of where samples were obtained, and single-site data collection. Given the large number of studies that found women who consume alcohol are more likely than their nondrinking counterparts to experience sexual assault, public health educators must continue to prioritize female college students who drink. However, interventions should target potential perpetrators rather than focusing solely on how victims can avoid risky situations. Future research should include diverse, random samples across multiple institutions topromote greater generalizability of findings.