THE PROBLEM WITH LIQUID-COURAGE: EXPLORING THE COMPLEXITIES OF ALCOHOL-RELATED SEXUAL VICTIMIZATION

Abstract

Sexual violence is regarded as both a manifestation and enforcement of power relations of men over women - men seen as the aggressors, and women as targets of male aggression. As such, it can be observed that in systems with politico-legal jurisdiction in place, protective laws have been implemented to severely punish male perpetrators and defend women from such gendered crimes. Within this domain, the category of alcohol-related sexual victimization treads a grey area whereby the circumstances prove to be highly contentious, and assigning culpability becomes a challenging task. This thesis will be an exploratory study on the materiality of alcohol in the context of sexual assault and its impact on the lived experiences of alcohol-related sexual victimization. I argue that in cases of alcohol-related sexual victimization, the aggressor is often released from culpability and blame is transferred to the material object which is alcohol, and/or assigned to the female party for not knowing better. Consequently, this points to gendered attitudes towards alcohol consumption. Ultimately, it can be observed that under these circumstances, the course of reclaiming agency for women who have faced sexual assault is stifled. Thus, this paper will be examining how the concomitant element of alcohol affects the lived experiences of these women on corporeal, sociocultural and structural levels in the context of alcohol-related sexual victimization.