Too Drunk to Consent? Exploring the Contestations and Disruptions in Male-Focused Sexual Violence Prevention Interventions
| Published date | 01 June 2018 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0964663917713346 |
| Author | Clare Gunby,Stuart Taylor,Anna Carline |
| Date | 01 June 2018 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
Too Drunk to Consent?
Exploring the
Contestations and
Disruptions in Male-Focused
Sexual Violence Prevention
Interventions
Anna Carline
University of Leicester, UK
Clare Gunby
University of Leicester, UK
Stuart Taylor
Liverpool John Moores University, UK
Abstract
Primary prevention interventions, often in the form of media campaigns, are frequently
utilized in order to tackle sexual violence. However, many in the United Kingdom have
been criticized for perpetuating victim-blaming, due to their focus on the behaviour of
women. One notable exception is a Liverpool City Council Campaign, which targeted
young men (aged 18–24) in a bid to reduce rates of alcohol-related rape. Drawing upon
an assessment involving 41 male university students, this article generates original
insights into the development and utilization of male-focused rape prevention
interventions. As this analysis shows, the young men’s responses to the campaign
involved negotiating discourses of sex, consent, rape, sexuality and gender – especially
masculinity. While participants frequently drew upon stereotypes and misconceptions,
moments of contestation and disruption emerged. We argue that interventions should
concentrate upon masculinity and moments of disruption and contestation (possibly
through the use of peer group discussions), in order to encourage critical reflections on
gender and sexual violence and to potentially engender more ethical practices.
Corresponding author:
Anna Carline, Leicester Law School, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.
Email: anna.carline@le.ac.uk
Social & Legal Studies
2018, Vol. 27(3) 299–322
ªThe Author(s) 2017
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DOI: 10.1177/0964663917713346
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Keywords
Alcohol, masculinity, perpetration prevention, primary interventions, sexual violence
Introduction
Preventing sexual violence against women remains a critical iss ue for policymakers
across the globe (WHO et al., 2014). Recent statistics in England and Wales indicate
that 19%of women have suffered a sexual assault since the age of 16 (ONS, 2016: 6).
Indeed, 18- to 24-year-olds are particularly vulnerable to experiencing sexual offences
(Felts et al., 2012), with female Higher Education (HE) students in England and Wales
suffering significant levels of sexual harassment and assault (Universities UK (UUK),
2016). There is a well-established link between intoxication and sexual offences, with
data indicating that in at least 50%of rapes reported to the police alcohol had been
consumed by either the victim and/or perpetrator (Abbey et al., 2004). However, the
inability of the criminal justice system to effectively deter and respond to sexual violence
– particularly in cases involving alcohol – is well documented (Hohl and Stanko, 2015).
Accordingly, there is an ongoing need and governmental commitment to develop addi-
tional methods for reducing sexual violence (HM Government, 2016), with the use of
primary prevention campaigns being one such approach (Stern, 2010).
Primary prevention interventions can be distinguished from, but are often used along-
side, secondary and tertiary interventions, both of which intercede post assault (WHO
and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 2010). While internationally
there has been a proliferation of sexual violence primary interventions which target their
messages at men (DeGue et al., 2014), in the United Kingdom, these remain in the
minority, compared to the ubiquity of campaigns focused on women (Stern, 2010). One
notable exception is a Liverpool City Council Campaign, which specifically targeted
young men (aged 18–24) in a bid to reduce incidents of alcohol-related rape.
In order to generate original insights into the development and utilization of
male-focused interventions, this article provides a critical analysis of the Liverpool
campaign, by scrutinizing the opinions of 41 young male HE students, collated
through six focus groups. To the authors’ knowledge, no other UK research has
critically analysed young male, HE students’ perspectives regarding a bespoke and
specifically targeted intervention, which is undoubtedly due to the sheer novelty of
the campaign approach. The article explores how participants’ reactions and
responses to the campaign involved negotiating discourses of sex, consent, rape,
sexuality and gender – especially masculinity. Male participants frequently drew on
dominant gender discourses and stereotypes, and at times voiced opinions which
could be considered ‘problematic’. At the same time, their views were often
nuanced and paradoxical. Tensions frequently emerged and stereotypical perspec-
tives did not remain unchallenged, with participants often contradicting themselves.
In concluding, we make two key recommendations: (a) future interventions should
concentrate upon masculinity and moments of contestation and disruption and (b)
peer group discussions should be an integral part of an intervention, as opposed to a
mechanism that simply assesses campaign impact.
300 Social & Legal Studies 27(3)
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