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Alcohol Use as a Strategy for Obtaining Nonconsensual Sexual Relations: Incidence in Spanish University Students and Relation to Rape Myths Acceptance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

Mónica Romero-Sánchez  and
Jesús L. Megías
Mónica Romero-Sánchez
Affiliation:
Universidad de Granada (Spain)
Jesús L. Megías*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Granada (Spain)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Jesús L. Megías. E-mail: jlmegias@ugr.es
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Abstract

This study analyzed the strategy of college men who give alcohol to girls to facilitate their acceptance when pursuing sexual relationships. It also studied the role of attitudes towards sexual assaults (rape myths) in the social perception of this practice; finally, this research examined how the fact that, in some cases, college women accept taking alcohol in their interactions with college men was perceived. Participants were 349 heterosexual students (154 men and 195 women) from the University of Granada. 28% of males reported having given alcohol to females in order to have sexual contacts with them, while 44% of females acknowledged having suffered this practice. Men, compared to women, were more favourable to this practice; however, this effect was moderated by their rape myths endorsements. It was also found that males and, in general, those participants who endorsed rape myths, tended to consider that girls who accept alcohol in their interactions with boys are promiscuous.

En esta investigación se analizó la incidencia en población universitaria de la estrategia de los chicos de dar alcohol a las chicas para facilitar su aceptación a mantener contactos sexuales.También se estudió el papel que juegan en la valoración de esta práctica las actitudes hacia las agresiones sexuales (mitos sobre la violación); finalmente se evaluó cómo se percibe que las chicas acepten la invitación de los chicos a tomar alcohol cuando interaccionan con ellos. Participaron 349 estudiantes heterosexuales (154 hombres y 195 mujeres) pertenecientes a la Universidad de Granada. El 28% de los varones reconoció haber dado alguna vez alcohol a una chica para conseguir mantener contactos sexuales con ella; por su parte, el 44% de las chicas indicó haber sido objeto alguna vez de esta práctica. Los resultados mostraron también que los chicos, en comparación con las chicas, rechazaban en menor medida esta estrategia; no obstante, estas diferencias en función del sexo se vieron moduladas por el grado de aceptación de los mitos de la violación por parte de los participantes. Asimismo se encontró que los chicos y en general quienes sostienen mitos sobre la violación, tienden a percibir como promiscuas a aquellas chicas que aceptan tomar alcohol en las interacciones con los chicos.

Keywords

sexual aggressionrape mythsalcoholattitudesincidenceagresión sexualmitos sobre la violaciónalcoholactitudesincidencia
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , November 2010 , pp. 864 - 874
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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