Previous literature consistently links alcohol use and sexual violence perpetration, suggesting alcohol policy may provide an opportunity to reduce sexual violence at the community level. A recent review explored this idea by identifying existing alcohol policies with the greatest potential for reducing sexual violence perpetration. This review focused on six policy areas: alcohol pricing, sale time, outlet density, drinking environment, alcohol marketing and college policies. For each policy area, the review focused on identifying the mechanism that enables the policy to impact sexual violence perpetration, as well as documenting any evidence to support this outcome (consult Table 1 for a summary). Regarding college policies, the review notes that universities are uniquely poised to implement additional campus-specific policies to reduce student drinking and thereby improve student safety. It summarizes studies that found policies banning alcohol on college campuses or in residence halls were associated with reduced rates of sexual violence perpetration (although these reductions were not statistically significant). Take Away: Table 2 nicely summarizes the implications of this review:
