Is the Festive Season along with Covid-19 ringing danger bells for partying women?

With the holiday season upon us now, partying with alcohol/drugs can play a spoil sport in leading to rape and crime scenarios for women. The Relationship Between Alcohol/Drug Consumption and Sexual Victimisation has been long established.

Why women should not get intoxicated during festive season

The fact that at least half of the acquaintance sexual assaults involve alcohol/drug abuse by the perpetrator, the victim or commonly both of them is not only alarming but a situation that could have been avoided in awareness. Without the awareness, that would stem from recognising risk, a woman might not undergo the anxiety or fear that motivates her to leave a situation. Intoxication during holiday gatherings is especially dangerous for women because they might experience a variety of psychological barriers that impede assertive resistance to the perpetrator’s moves. The chances of someone noticing and coming for help could be meagre as everyone around may be intoxicated too.

How does Covid-19 add to the already existing risk

Covid-19 has changed the way people perceive gatherings now. Be it a family gathering or a party fest, social distancing has now become the new norm leading to distribution of people over a larger area in smaller groups to avoid transmission. This situation adds to the already existing risk of rapes and crime on women under the influence of alcohol/drugs during the festive season. 

Alcohol and victimisation vicious cycle due to PTSD

More often than not, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder arising from previous season’s sexual assaults on women become stress factors when they have to meet with their perpetrators during the context of festivities. Surrounded by shame and guilt that arises from a feeling that they themselves have been responsible for such assaults, most women resort to Alcohol/Drugs to get relief. There could be a chance that the victim is less willing to share her experience with others due to the fear of judgement. The stress mounts up to undue levels when keeping the details of trauma, a secret to suffer within herself. This phenomenon in turn puts her in an increased risk for getting re-victimised under chronic intoxication until it becomes a vicious cycle.

Understanding the causes of assault  and precautions to be taken

There is a condition called alcohol myopia that can affect both risk perception and resistance among the victims. This condition occurs under excessive intoxication. Due to the unrealistic expectations of the alcohol effects, most victims fall prey to the perpetrator’s attacks under physical and mental distress.

Challenging individual beliefs about the effects of alcohol comes a long way in addressing such attacks. Understanding individual vulnerabilities, for example women who were subjected to sexual abuse as a child, previous victims of sexual assault, women hailing from dysfunctional families are more vulnerable to sexual attacks under intoxication than their peers. Identifying the underlying dynamics of their responses that help them in faster recovery helps break the vicious cycle.

Strong messages need to be passed to men in gathering and parties about maintaining personal boundaries and treating you with respect. It is ideal to avoid situations that isolate you from the crowd. Being on a lookout for men who motivate you to binge drink helps identify thoughts of malice in advance.

Intoxication-involved sexual assaults are classified as crime and blame needs to be placed squarely on those who perpetrate it. Blame not thyself.

To seek medical counselling and treatment in case of attack helps avoid re-victimisation. Reporting the crime helps avoid repeated attacks of the perpetrator on other women.

Stay aware and stay safe to make the best out of this holiday season. Wishing you fun-filled holidays and a happy and prosperous New Year 2021-Team Phoenix