OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of adolescents involved in alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related sexual assault of peers. METHOD: A Web-based survey was administered to 1,220 7th- to 12th-grade students from a middle school and high school in southeastern Michigan. RESULTS: Adolescents who reported alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related sexual aggression had higher levels of impulsivity and more extensive histories of dating, early sexual activity, and alcohol consumption than adolescents who did not assault. Moreover, aggressors of alcohol-related assault had higher levels of past-30-day alcohol use and reported more alcohol-/drug-related problems than aggressors of non-alcohol-related assault. CONCLUSIONS: Early identification of the characteristics associated with alcohol-related sexual aggression suggests that targeted interventions may be feasible for this group of adolescents at high risk for both sexual perpetration and alcoholism during adulthood.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of adolescents involved in alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related sexual assault of peers. METHOD: A Web-based survey was administered to 1,220 7th- to 12th-grade students from a middle school and high school in southeastern Michigan. RESULTS: Adolescents who reported alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related sexual aggression had higher levels of impulsivity and more extensive histories of dating, early sexual activity, and alcohol consumption than adolescents who did not assault. Moreover, aggressors of alcohol-related assault had higher levels of past-30-day alcohol use and reported more alcohol-/drug-related problems than aggressors of non-alcohol-related assault. CONCLUSIONS: Early identification of the characteristics associated with alcohol-related sexual aggression suggests that targeted interventions may be feasible for this group of adolescents at high risk for both sexual perpetration and alcoholism during adulthood.