When victims disclose sexual assault, negative reactions from the other person (e.g., blaming the victim, taking control, distraction, stigma, egocentric responses Ullman, 2000) are related to problem drinking ( Ullman, Starzynski, Long, Mason, & Long, 2008). Other post-assault factors that predict victim problem drinking are depressive symptoms ( Campbell, Dworkin, & Cabral, 2009 Goldstein, Flett & Wekerle, 2010 Mushquash et al., in press) and negative social reactions. Drinking to cope with distress is related to greater alcohol consumption and drinking problems ( Holahan, Moos, Holahan, Cronkite, & Randall, 2001 Park & Levenson, 2002). Women with histories of sexual victimization and other traumas (e.g., child abuse, IPV) may be more likely to engage in various forms of avoidance or maladaptive coping such as drinking to cope ( Bissonnette et al., 1997 Ullman, Filipas, Townsend & Starzynski, 2005). Avoidance coping strategies are a common response to stressful life events, such as rape ( Littleton, Horsley, John, & Nelson 2007). Maladaptive coping strategies can include various forms of avoidance including, cognitive disengagement (e.g., blocking out thoughts), behavioral disengagement (e.g., social withdrawal), denial, and/or use of substances to cope. Problem drinking among victims is likely to be impacted by post-assault factors, such as maladaptive coping.
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Assault-related responses may also influence recovery outcomes.
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However, studies have yet to assess the role of physical IPV history and romantic partner sexual assault to investigate whether they differentially impact women's problem drinking. Therefore, survivors of IPV may be vulnerable to problem drinking. Both severity and number of assaults are connected with increased problem drinking ( McFarlane et al., 2005 Stermac et al., 2006). IPV related assaults also tend to involve repeated violence ( McFarlane et al., 2005). For example, Stermac, Del Bove, Brazeu & Bainbridge (2006) studied rape crisis center records and found that assaults committed by spouses or boyfriends were characterized by more coercion, physical trauma, and severe injury than those committed by strangers and other assailants.
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One reason may be that IPV-related sexual assaults are often more severe than violence perpetrated by strangers. “Typical drinking” refers to the amount one usually drinks, while “heavy drinking” refers to frequency of drinking, at least 4 drinks in one day for women ( NIAAA, 1990).Ĭompared to violence perpetrated by strangers, IPV is associated with increased problem drinking/heavy drinking among female victims ( White & Chen, 2002 Wilsnack et al., 1997). Problem drinking is a pattern of drinking that is harmful to the drinker, and based on the number of drinks, frequency of heavy drinking and its consequences. Specifically, adult sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and intimate partner violence (IPV) in women have been connected with increased risk for alcohol problems ( Plichta, 2004 Temple, Weston, Stuart & Marshall, 2008 Timko, Sutkowi, Pavao, & Kimerling, 2008 White & Chen, 2002 Wilsnack, Vogeltanz, Klassen, & Harris, 1997). Many women experience physical (28.2%) and sexual (26.3% ) IPV during their lifetimes ( Black et al., 2011), both of which have serious effects on women's health ( Campbell et al., 2002 Coker, Smith, Bethea, King, & McKeown, 2000).