Alcohol consumption can pose many dangers to college students, affecting their academic performance, physical health, mental health, and general safety. While acute and chronic effects of drinking have been studied extensively, far less research exists concerning interpersonal effects of alcohol use. Risky drinking behaviors may often be associated with sexual activity in college students, thus muddying the necessary perceptions and assertions of sexual consent. Sexual assault is alarmingly prevalent across university communities and may be perpetuated by inaccurate and unethical beliefs concerning sexual consent, especially as it relates to intoxication. This study investigates student confidence in providing sexual consent after drinking.
The study’s sample is composed of 232 students from a large undergraduate university in the southern United States (n=232, 71% female, 85.8% white, 73.3% Greek-affiliated). Participants completed surveys which assessed the following variables: demographics, relationship status, Greek-affiliation, alcohol use (via Daily Drinking Questionnaire), sex-related alcohol expectancies (via Sex-Related Alcohol Expectancy Scale), and confidence to consent while drinking (using Likert scales and open-ended questions). The data was analyzed using regression analysis and thematic analysis.
Results of the quantitative portion of the study found 70.8% of students felt they could provide sexual consent while drinking, and in increase in weekend drinking was associated with an increase in confidence. Students who were not in a relationship reported higher sex-related alcohol expectancies than students who were currently in a relationship (p<0.01). The qualitative assessment found that student confidence in providing consent often relied on the context of drinking, the amount of alcohol consumed, and blackout reporting (35.8%). Some students reported harmful beliefs explaining alcohol to be irrelevant to consent (31%). Others reported that consent cannot be given while drinking (10.4%), and another minority reported consent to be more common while drinking (9.6%).
Takeaway: college student confidence regarding sexual consent while drinking may rely on a variety of contextual influences and personal beliefs. Some beliefs are objectively dangerous and may contribute to passive attitudes towards sexual assault perpetration.