# Integrating Alcohol Myopia and Objectification to Understand Sexual Assault

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN · 2020 · $350,264

## Abstract

Abstract
It is well established that sexual violence causes varied and severe health problems for women, including
PTSD, depression, substance use, and suicidal ideation. Furthermore, alcohol use is inextricably linked to
sexual violence, with the majority of sexual assaults occurring when the perpetrator, victim, or both have been
drinking. This public health problem has generated a tremendous amount of research interest in recent years,
focused mostly on identifying broad risk factors associated with this phenomenon. Yet, it remains unclear
when, why, and for whom alcohol causes sexual assault perpetration or victimization. Developing new
etiological models of alcohol-involved sexual violence is critical for the creation of effective programs to reduce
sexual assault risk. In response to this significant need, the present project integrates previous research on
factors associated with alcohol-involved sexual assault, with research on how intoxication alters attention and
social perceptions in ways that increase the risk of sexual aggression and victimization. Specifically, this
project examines how alcohol intoxication on the part of a male perpetrator impairs attentional capacity and
leads to a narrowing of the perceptual field causing a dehumanizing perspective of women as sexual objects
for men's pleasure rather than individuals with thoughts and feelings, thereby increasing the propensity for
sexual aggression. The present research also examines whether women's responses to this sexual
objectification from men interfere with risk perception in sexual situations, particularly when women are
drinking, increasing the likelihood of sexual victimization. These propositions will be tested in the context of two
carefully controlled laboratory studies. Together, these studies will provide a comprehensive test of our
proposed model of alcohol-involved sexual assault that includes situation-specific mechanisms and key
moderators of sexual violence. Findings from this project will inform prevention programs that can reduce the
deleterious health problems associated with alcohol-involved sexual violence.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9936108
- **Project number:** 5R01AA025090-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN
- **Principal Investigator:** DAVID DILILLO
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $350,264
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-08-15 → 2023-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9936108

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9936108, Integrating Alcohol Myopia and Objectification to Understand Sexual Assault (5R01AA025090-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9936108. Licensed CC0.

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