No. 1 Date Rape Drug
Dec 9th, 2007 at 2:00 pm by Susie
Of course, the relationship between alcohol and rape is a bitter pill to swallow. On top of already shouldering all kinds of disproportionate social burdens, do women and girls have to revive the temperance movement in order to avoid sexual exploitation? The answer, according to the research, is: kind of. Instead of a movement aimed at cleaning up society imposed by condescending liberal elites, however, women’s decision to drink less would likely increase their safety far more than impractical prescriptions to restrict their movements or associations.
The most complex, national studies of rape and alcohol associate drinking with one- to two-thirds of sexual assaults. Although no woman is responsible for being raped, no matter what the circumstances, the implications of ignoring victim behavior can be just as grave as victim-blaming. While limiting alcohol consumption is no solution to the principles of male domination and misogyny that underlie our society and give rise to the troubling ubiquity of sexual violence, it is as subversive weapon as any in the arsenal of young women who believe that this reality can change.
I’ve always preached this to my nieces. Getting shit-faced at a party or bar substantially increases the risk of rape, and I don’t think the feminist movement is really about the right to get shit-faced in risky situations.
