In a study of sexual victimization and alcohol consumption, a population sample of Norwegian adolescents from the Oslo area was followed-up through five data collections over a 6-year time span. By means of generalized structural equation modeling, alcohol-related predictors and consequences of sexual assaults were investigated; 17% of the girls reported that they had been sexually assaulted at some time: 7% in childhood, 6% in early adolescence (13-16 years) and 4% in late adolescence (17-19 years). Only 1% of the boys reported having been sexually victimized. Female childhood sex victims reported increased alcohol consumption from their mid-teens, with dramatic increase in alcohol-related problems (using DSM-III-R criteria) at the end of their teens. However, the analyses showed that alcohol consumption was not influenced by childhood sexual abuse when parental use of tobacco and alcohol and normative standards imparted to their children were taken into consideration as confounding variables. There was, on the other hand, a strong effect on alcohol problems. Thus, the victims of childhood sexual abuse seem to be at high risk for alcohol abuse and dependency. Further, early alcohol debut and high alcohol consumption combined with permissive parental norms increased the risk of sexual assault in early adolescence. The girls who were assaulted in early adolescence also reported a high number of sexual partners and early intercourse debut. There was no increase in subsequent alcohol consumption after assaults in this group. Late adolescent victims did not report increased alcohol consumption either prior to or after the assault.
PIP: The association between childhood sexual victimization and alcohol consumption was investigated in a longitudinal study (1987-93) of 465 adolescents (249 girls and 216 boys) from Oslo, Norway. Mean age was 13.7 years at study entry and 19.3 years at study completion. 17.3% of female respondents had a sexual abuse history; 7% were abused in childhood, 6% in early adolescence (13-16 years), and 4% in late adolescence (17-19 years). Only 1% of the boys reported having been sexually victimized. Girls who were victimized in early adolescence had the lowest mean age at first alcohol debut (13.5 years, compared with 15.2 years among nonvictimized girls). Female child sexual abuse victims reported increased alcohol consumption from their mid-teens, with dramatic increases in alcohol-related problems at the end of their teens. The analyses showed that alcohol consumption was not influenced by childhood sexual abuse when parental use of tobacco and alcohol and normative standards imparted to their children were considered as confounding variables. However, the strong effect of victimization on alcohol problems persisted after controls for parental confounding factors. Early alcohol debut and high alcohol consumption, combined with permissive parental norms, increased the risk of sexual assault in early adolescence. Girls who were sexually victimized in early adolescence also reported an early intercourse debut and a high number of sexual partners. Late adolescent victims, on the other hand, did not report increased alcohol consumption either before or after their sexual assault.