Associations between Hegemonic Masculinity, Sexual Assault Victimization, and Alcohol Use in College Men Who Report Heavy Episodic Drinking

Sexual assault victimization (SAV) is a major, ongoing public health crisis. In addition to sexual violence, excessive alcohol use and the consequences associated with it are considered public health issues. Masculinity is understood as the performance of ‘masculine’ traits attributed to the male gender identity. Hegemonic masculinity is a framework which links the adverse outcomes discussed above such as SAV with increased drinking and associated consequences to public health. This study examined whether the associations between SAV and alcohol use were moderated by masculinity. Subjects, men ages 18-25 enrolled as full-time students, were recruited from two universities to participate in an alcohol and sexual assault prevention program (n = 365). There were significant positive associations between masculinity and alcohol use as well as SAV and alcohol use. However, the interaction between these variables was not significant. Further, there were significant differences in alcohol use by demographics. These findings demonstrate a need for alcohol-centered interventions that target this demographic that address adherence to hegemonic masculinity and acknowledging men as a unique population for sexual violence research.