(PS1-C71) Associations Between Sexual Violence Experiences, Sex Is Power Beliefs, and Sex-specific Alcohol Expectancies Among College Women

Approximately 25% of college women experience SV (Fedina et al., 2018) and up to 75% of campus sexual assaults involve alcohol (Abbey et al., 2014). SV is associated with PTSD, substance use (Ullman et al., 2013), sexual dysfunction (Kelley & Gidycz, 2019), and revictimization (Mellins et al., 2017). SV impacts alcohol use expectancies, such that survivors expect tension reduction, global positive change, and sexual enhancement when drinking (Corbin et al., 2021). However, research is scant regarding the impact of SV on other sex-specific alcohol expectancies (SSAE). Understanding the effect of SV on SSAE is important given prevalence of campus substance use and SV (Dijulio et al., 2015), “hook-up” culture (Sutton et al., 2021), and sexual functioning and substance use sequelae of SV. SV impacts sexual schema, (Kilimnik et al., 2018), and may affect reasons for having sex, like using sex as a means of wielding power. Sex is power (SIP) beliefs may be a key mechanism modifying associations between SV and SSAE. Approach-inhibition theory posits that people with higher perceived power adapt approach-related tendencies and are more attentive to reward versus threat cues (Cho & Keltner, 2020) which could relate to SSAE being perceived as positive or pleasurable among those who endorse SIP. Based on this work, we tested associations between SV and college women’s SSAE (enhancement, risk, and disinhibition), as well as the role of SIP beliefs in mediating these effects.

Participants were 83 cisgender women (Mage = 23.2 years, SD = 2.54) who completed a modified version of the Sexual Experiences Survey to classify SV experiences (Koss & Gidycz, 1985), the Sex is Power (SIP) scale (Erchull & Liss, 2013), and the Sex-Specific Alcohol Expectancies Scale (Dermen & Cooper, 1994). As predicted, results of mediation analyses (R PROCESS model 4) revealed that SIP beliefs significantly mediated relations between SV experiences and SSAE. SV experiences were associated with higher endorsement of SIP, which predicted greater expectations of sexual enhancement, risk, and disinhibition when using alcohol.

SV experiences were associated with greater sex specific alcohol expectancies indirectly through increased SIP beliefs. SV survivors may wish to establish power and control over sexual encounters, causing them to seek factors that increase comfort with sexual behavior (i.e., alcohol) (Walsh et al., 2013). This may elevate vulnerability to opportunistic perpetrators who use substances to facilitate assault (Testa et al., 2010). Women who hold strong SIP beliefs generally indicate positive attitudes toward sexual experiences and others’ advances, higher sexual self-esteem, greater sexual permissiveness, and more sexual partners (Erchull & Liss, 2014). Findings support extant theory that people with higher perceived power are more attuned to reward. Those endorsing SIP beliefs may be more likely to focus on rewards of drinking in service of sexual enhancement, disinhibition, and risk-taking and perceive SSAE as positive or pleasurable. Interventions that discuss SIP beliefs and SSAE may reduce women’s vulnerability to opportunistic perpetrators and help survivors identify alternative means of asserting sexual power and control.