Sexual Harassments Related to Alcohol and Drugs Intake: The Experience of the Rape Centre of Turin

Barbara Mognetti (), Marco Bo, Giovanni Nicolao Berta, Antonella Canavese, Paola Castagna, Federica Collini, Veronica Santa, Alberto Salomone and Sarah Gino
Additional contact information
Barbara Mognetti: Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
Marco Bo: Hospital Medical Direction, Local Health Trust TO5, Piazza Silvio Pellico 1, 10023 Chieri, Italy
Giovanni Nicolao Berta: Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Regione Gonzole 10, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
Antonella Canavese: Centro Soccorso Violenza Sessuale, Sant’Anna Hospital, City of Health and Science, Corso Spezia 60, 10126 Turin, Italy
Paola Castagna: Centro Soccorso Violenza Sessuale, Sant’Anna Hospital, City of Health and Science, Corso Spezia 60, 10126 Turin, Italy
Federica Collini: Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy
Veronica Santa: Corso di Laurea Magistrale in Medicina e Chirurgia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Luigi (Orbassano), University of Turin, v. Verdi 8, 10124 Turin, Italy
Alberto Salomone: Department of Chemistry, University of Turin, via Giuria 5, 10126 Turin, Italy
Sarah Gino: Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 22, 1-16

Abstract: A cross-sectional study was conducted that describes the characteristics of sexual violence episodes related to the intake of alcohol and drugs observed among women that turned to the “Centro Soccorso Violenza Sessuale” (SVS) of the Sant’Anna Hospital in Turin between 1 January 2008, and 31 December 2017. Two hundred twenty-two patients were enrolled, 25 of which were minors, 141 were Italians, and most of them knew their aggressor and were raped in a private home. One hundred and fifty-five of them declared to the healthcare personnel to have taken alcoholic substances and/or drugs in conjunction with the event (86 reported having drunk alcohol, 36 having taken drugs and 33 disclosed both alcohol and drug abuse). If the woman knew her abuser, alcohol consumption was described as voluntary in more than 80% of cases, while in relation to drugs the consumption was equally voluntary or fraudulent. About 73% of women who reported having drunk alcohol just had amnesia or amnesia related to other symptoms, while amnesia was present in about 63% of women who reported only drug use. Physicians observed physical injuries on 156 women. Patients who reported to have assumed alcohol presented a significantly higher risk to suffer any physical injury and have a significantly increased risk to suffer injuries to their head and/or neck. The results obtained underline how even in Northern Italy alcohol intake represents the most widespread psychoactive substance in case of drug-facilitated sexual assault. There is therefore a need to promote education and prevention campaigns among citizens, especially among the youngest.

Keywords: gender violence; sexual violence; rape; drug intake; alcohol intake; DFSA; injuries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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