Drugs and Alcohol
Key message
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Research indicates that being drunk can make you more vulnerable to sexual assault.
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Alcohol affects your actions and your reactions as well as your ability to be alert. Perpetrators of sexual assault may take advantage of this and target you because of your vulnerability.
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Serious sexual assault is sometimes committed by strangers, but more often the offender is known to the victim – a friend, acquaintance or partner
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If you are raped or sexually assaulted it is important to remember that it is not your fault, regardless of how much you have had to drink.
Link to staying safe leaflet
What can you do to stay safe?
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Stay in control of your drinking - be aware of how much you’ve drunk, and know when to stop.
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Be aware of what is going on around you and keep away from situations that you do not feel comfortable with. Never accept a drink from someone you don’t completely trust.
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Plan your night out and how you will get home at the end of the evening. Make sure that someone knows where you are going and what time you will be home.
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When going to a pub, club or party, avoid going alone. Friends can watch out for each other.
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Consider very carefully whether you should leave the pub, club or party with someone you have just met. Be clear whether or not you are up for sex and don’t let your alcohol level impact on this decision.
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If taking a taxi, never use an unlicensed mini-cab. Always try to pre- book a car through a licensed minicab office – and ensure the car you ordered is the one you get into.
Facts and Figures
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34% of rape victims studied in ‘A Gap or a Chasm? Attrition in reported rape cases’ had consumed alcohol prior to the assault (Kelly et al, 2005)
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17% of victims of sexual assault surveyed in the British Crime Survey Interpersonal Violence Module 2001 said that the offence took place when they were incapable of consent due to alcohol.
- In a review of seven US college student sexual victimisation surveys, victims were drinking in between 35% and 81% of incidents (Testa and Parks, 1996, US)
Operation Matisse
A research study into the dynamics of alleged drug facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) cases has concluded that there is no evidence to suggest widespread use of the so called 'date rape drug' Rohypnol, and only limited traces of GHB were identified. The study, which examined cases between 1 November 2004 and 31 October 2005 considered all alleged or suspected cases of DFSA in the Metropolitan Police, Greater Manchester, Derbyshire, Northumbria and Lancashire police forces as well as the Walsall area of the West Midlands Police.
A total of 120 cases were considered as part of the study. Each participant was asked to provide information via a questionnaire which contributed to the analysis of samples by the Forensic Science Service. The report published today highlights the key findings and the difficulties in firstly identifying this type of offence and secondly the complexities of investigating cases of this type. In most cases, the alleged victims had consumed alcohol voluntarily and in some cases, to dangerous levels.
Link to Operation Matisse
There is information on the Project Sapphire website, run by the Metropolitan Police – Project Sapphire is the Met Police’s dedicated unit for rape investigations. You can find more information on drugs by clicking here
A recent study undertaken by the Forensic Science Service into allegations of drug-facilitated sexual assault. It was published in the Journal of Clinical Forensic Science in 2005, written by Michael Scott-Ham and Fiona Burton, entitled “Toxicological findings in cases of alleged drug-facilitated sexual assault in the United Kingdom over a 3-year period”.
An additional Home Office publication on the links between alcohol and sexual assault can be found by clicking here
In relation to the impact that drugs and alcohol have on the progress of rape cases through the criminal justice process, the UK Government is currently consulting on whether to introduce a specific definition of ‘capacity’ to consent, to add more clarity to cases where alcohol played a role in victimisation. You can find the consultation paper by clicking here The paper outlines more clearly what role alcohol can play in rape cases.
Last update: Last update: Tuesday, March 27, 2007