How many movies have you seen where a woman wakes up in bed with somebody and she:

1. Is hung-over from too much alcohol?

2. Doesn’t remember what happened last night?

What is the usual response this character portrays? Most often, the woman is in disbelief or worried that her other partner will find out or that she may be pregnant. However, perhaps she was a survivor of an alcohol-facilitated sexual assault.

Alcohol in Television
What you see: 
The more you drink, the more fun you will have. 

If you get a girl drunk, she will do anything. 

Somehow, drinking makes you “sexy,” “appealing,” “fun” etc.

The truth about not monitoring your drinks or alcohol consumption is far less glamorous; it includes:
• Vomiting
• Disorientation
• Memory loss
• Possible criminal victimization (examples: robbery and sexual assault)

Will you think twice before accepting an “unfamiliar” or “opened” drink? Will you think twice before deciding to get drunk? The truth about alcohol – alcohol is the most commonly used chemical in drug-facilitated sexual assault. In large part this is due to the fact that alcohol is easily accessible and is a chemical that many people use in social interactions (www.rainn.org, 2007).

Effects of alcohol on the victim:
• Reduced ability to protect himself or herself
• Impaired judgment
• May not realize that a situation has become dangerous
• May have trouble handling or avoiding conflict
• Distorted or unclear perceptions about others
• Difficulty setting limits
• Impaired ability to resist unwanted behavior, both physically and verbally

Effects of alcohol on the perpetrator:
• May misinterpret the behaviors of another as sexual interest (NOTE: misinterpretation is never an excuse)
• May feel justified to force himself or herself on a drunken partner because he/she views the drunken partner as being partially responsible for whatever happens
• May become increasingly aggressive and assertive

Fact
An estimated 70,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 experience alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape each year in the United States (The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2002).

What You Need To Know
In healthy relationships, a partner will voluntarily give active and clear consent prior to sexual activity. That means they have to be awake, lucid and able to communicate what they want or don't want. This is true even if you've been dating for a long time and consider yourself in a committed relationship (www.whynotask.org, 2007). In Texas, sex without consent is sexual assault.

You are not to blame, even if:
• Your attacker was an acquaintance, date, friend or spouse.
• You have been sexually intimate with that person or with others before.
• You were drinking or using drugs.
• You froze and did not or could not say "no."
• You were unable to fight back physically.
• You were wearing clothes that others may perceive as seductive.

Additional Resources
ZERO Tolerance of Violence -- 972.881.5820
Collin College’s Counseling Services --  972.881.5126
The Turning Point (The Rape Crisis Center of Collin County) --  972.985.0951