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Citation |
Burgess A, Donovan P, Moore SEH. Br. J. Criminol. 2009; 49(6): 848-862. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2009, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, Publisher Oxford University Press) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
unavailable |
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Abstract |
There is a stark contrast between heightened perceptions of risk associated with drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) and a lack of evidence that this is a widespread threat. Through surveys and interviews with university students in the United Kingdom and United States, we explore knowledge and beliefs about drink-spiking and the linked threat of sexual assault. University students in both locations are not only widely sensitized to the issue, but substantial segments claim first- or second-hand experience of particular incidents. We explore students' understanding of the DFSA threat in relationship to their attitudes concerning alcohol, binge-drinking, and responsibility for personal safety. We suggest that the drink-spiking narrative has a functional appeal in relation to the contemporary experience of young women's public drinking. |