Comparative study of drug assisted rapes and non-drug

assisted rapes reported to Surrey police between November 1999

and November 2004

Miranda Horvath & Jennifer BrownUniversity of Surrey

8th International Investigative Psychology ConferenceLondon, 15th – 16th December 2005

The Role of Alcohol and The Role of Alcohol and Drugs in RapeDrugs in Rape

Context• “Cult of Scepticism” and “Attrition” Kelly, Lovett &

Regan (2005)

• 30% respondents = woman is partially or totally responsible for being raped if drunk Amnesty

International (2005)

• 4 in 10 (36%) women sexually assaulted when drunk Portman Group (2005)

• Liberalisation of licensing laws in Britain (2005)

“Drinking is a real issue…men I suspect think they can get away

with rape…they are targeting nightclubs where young girls have

been drinking.”

Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Yates

Association of Chief Police Officer’s lead on sexual offences

Observer, 27th November 2005

Prevalence of Alcohol and Drugs in Sexual Assault

• College Students in USA – Alcohol involved in 1/3 - ½ - ¾ (e.g. Testa & Parks, 1996)

• UK Reported to police: Alcohol in 1/3 Drugs in 1 in 10 (Kelly et al.

2005)

• Implications for police and jury response- Focus on victims behaviour before attack- If drinking less likely to be believed (e.g. Lopez, 1992)

Effects of Alcohol

• Impairs cognitive and motor skills

• Ability to engage in higher order cognitive processes

• In men – enhance sexual behaviour and aggressiveness

• Focus on salient cues in a situation ignore more peripheral information

(e.g. Abbey et al. 1999, Hindmarch, et al. 1991; Parks & Miller, 1997; Steele & Josephs, 1990)

Aims

To identify patterns and characteristics among rapes which have come to police attention in order to distinguish between

rapes involving alcohol and those which do not involve alcohol

Data

• November 1999 – November 2004

• 93 cases victim under influence of drugs or alcohol

• 91 cases (random sample) offender charged, victim not under influence drugs or alcohol

• Coding dictionary

Analysis 1:Alcohol/drug implicated rapes (ADIR) vs. No alcohol/drug implicated rapes (NADIR)

• ADIR = alcohol/drugs had been consumed by victim and/or offender = 108

• NADIR = no alcohol/drugs had been consumed by victim or offender = 76

Assault Location

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Vic

tim h

ome

Offe

nder

hom

e

Vic

tim &

Offe

nder

sha

red

hom

e

Oth

er p

rivat

e ho

me

Offe

nder

Bus

ines

sM

edic

al fa

cilit

yN

ight

club

Out

side Car

Hot

elU

nkno

wn

Alcohol/drugs implicated

No alcohol/drugs implicated

Location

Percentage of cases

Victim/Offender Relationships

• Majority of victims & offenders knew each other, but significantly more in NADIR (88%) than in ADIR (73%)

Relationships (x² p<.05)

Partners Ex-partners Friends Strangers

ADIR 14 5 48 25

NADIR 28 17 30 12

Victim and Offender Characteristics

• Victims, NADIR more likely to be:- Married

- Remember being assaulted- Remember after being assaulted

• Offenders, NADIR more likely to have come to police attention before

• Suspects, ADIR more likely to be unemployed

Offence behaviours

Victim Bound

Physically restrain

Vaginal penetration

Sexual fondling

Offender masturbates

ADIR 0.93 8.33 73.15 26.85 4.63

NADIR 7.89 48.68 94.74 2.63 17.11

p <.05 <.001 <.001 <.05 <.05

Analysis 2: Who had consumed the alcohol/drugs

1. Victim Drunk & Offender Drunk

2. Victim Drunk & Offender Sober

3. Victim Sober & Offender Sober

4. Victim Sober & Offender Drunk

Location

Victim’s homeVictim & Offender

shared homeOther private

home

Victim Drunk / Offender Sober

20.51 0 17.95

Victim Drunk / Offender Drunk

16.67 9.26 18.52

Victim Sober / Offender Drunk

53.33 26.67 6.67

Victim Sober / Offender Sober

28.95 23.68 0

p <.05 <.005 <.001

Did the victim and offender know each other?

• X² (3,184) = 11.16 p<.05

- Victim Sober / Offender Sober 88%

- Victim Sober / Offender Drunk 80%

- Victim Drunk / Offender Drunk 79%

- Victim Drunk / Offender Sober 62%

Victim / Offender Relationship

Partners Ex-partners Friends

Offender

Drunk Sober Drunk Sober Drunk Sober

Victim

Drunk 16.67 2.56 3.70 2.56 51.85 51.28

Sober 33.33 27.63 13.33 17.12 26.67 30.26

p <.005 <.05 <.05

Victim & Offender Characteristics

• Victims:- All sober victims remembered assault & after- Most likely to remember being approached when both

parties drunk

• Offenders & Suspects- Not possible to distinguish on any characteristics

Offence Behaviours

More frequent with drunk victim• Victim moved from one location to another• Sexual fondling

More frequent with sober victim• Offender Physically restrained victim• Vaginal penetration• Offender masturbated

Main findings

• Alcohol/drugs most likely to be involved between friends

• Inability to distinguish offenders, suspects and victims

• Victims state of sobriety / intoxication most significant

Future Research

• In depth analysis of cases where victim is intoxicated, focusing on:

- How victim became intoxicated- What the had consumed- How much they had consumed

• Comparison with a larger sample of cases from a different force

• Compare reported and unreported cases

Selected References• Abbey, A., McAuslan, P., & Ross, L.T. (1998) Sexual assault perpetration by

college men: The role of alcohol, misperception of sexual intent, and sexual beliefs and experiences. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 17, 167-195.

• Anatomy of a big night out (2005) The Portman Group. Retrieved on 11th October from www.portman-group.org.uk.

• Hindmarch, I., Kerr, J. & Sherwood, N. (1991) The effects of alcohol and other drugs on psychomotor performance and cognitive function. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 26, 71-79.

• ICM (2005) Sexual assault research. Retrieved on 23rd November 2005 from www.amnesty.org.uk/news/press/16618.shtml.

• Kelly, L., Lovett, J. & Regan, L. (2005) A gap or a chasm? Attrition in reported rape cases. Hone Office Research Study, 293. London: Home Office.

• Lopez, P. (1992) He said…she said…an overview of date rape from commission through prosecution through verdict. Criminal Justice, 13, 275-302.

• ‘New drink law spark rapes fears (2005, 27th November) The Observer, p4.• Parks, K.A. & Miller, B.A. (1997) Bar victimisation of women. Psychology of

Women Quarterly, 21, 509-525.• Steele, C.M. & Josephs, R.A. (1990) Alcohol Myopia: Its prized and dangerous

effects. American Psychologist, 45, 921-933.• Testa, M. & Parks, K.A. (1996) The role of women’s alcohol consumption in

sexual victimisation. Aggression and Violent Behaviour, 1, 217-234.