Interpreting young women's accounts of drink spiking: the need for a gendered understanding of the fear and reality of sexual violence

Brooks, O. (2014) Interpreting young women's accounts of drink spiking: the need for a gendered understanding of the fear and reality of sexual violence. Sociology, 48(2), pp. 300-316. (doi: 10.1177/0038038512475108)

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Publisher's URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0038038512475108

Abstract

In recent years the public discourse around drink spiking has evolved from that of an ‘epidemic’ to an ‘urban myth’. This article examines the narratives of 35 young women interviewed in relation to the contested issue of drink spiking. The suggestion that young women invoke the drink spiking discourse to provide a feminine framework for the masculine practice of binge drinking is challenged. It is argued that, on the contrary, young women’s accounts of drink spiking are characterised by uncertainty, minimisation, self-blame and a reluctance to disclose their experiences. Further, young women’s fear of drink spiking represents a contemporary extension of the conventional gendered fear of sexual violence. Hence a gendered lens, sensitive to the fear and reality of sexual violence, is a prerequisite to a nuanced interpretation of young women’s accounts of drink spiking within the sexualised environment of the night-time economy.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Brooks, Dr Oona
Authors: Brooks, O.
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Sociology Anthropology and Applied Social Sciences
Journal Name:Sociology
Publisher:Sage Publications
ISSN:0038-0385
ISSN (Online):1469-8684

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