Experts cite possible link between alcohol and violent crimes

The number of reported sex assaults in the Penn patrol zone went up from 10 in 2006 to 17 in 2007, and alcohol consumption could be partly responsible for this rise.

It's not clear how many of these offenses were alcohol-related, but experts say alcohol and sexual assaults are often linked.

Steven Belenko, professor of Criminal Justice at Temple University, said that alcohol-related incidents, not including DUIs, tend to be violent crimes, such as assaults and sex crimes.

"No one really knows how alcohol impacts crime, but it does reduce self control and inhibition," he said. The places where alcohol is typically consumed tend to be "social settings that are conducive to fighting," he added.

In the case of sexual assaults, alcohol consumption can involve both the assaulter and the victim, Belenko said.

Penn Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush explained that the increase in the number of reported incidents doesn't necessarily indicate an increase in the number of actual assaults. Rather, it might indicate a higher number of women coming forward to report the crime.

Rush said she is "pleased that more women felt comfortable in reporting their victimization."

The 17 reported forcible sexual offenses include rapes, sexual assaults, indecent exposures and indecent assaults.

Stephanie Ives, director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives, which handles alcohol-policy issues, said "alcohol lowers inhibitions and contributes to higher-risk behaviors, which could potentially contribute to assaults."

To address these problems, Ives said, "Penn has been working diligently for years on reducing high-risk alcohol consumption." The Office of Strategic Initiatives works with the Division of Public Safety and college houses to promote student awareness and education through programs such as AlcoholEdu.

The Office of Strategic Initiatives works with DPS mostly in response to alcohol-related incidents, rather than proactively.

"A student who has been identified as breaking a policy or law will meet with someone for an intervention." Ives said.

The Office of Strategic Initiatives is also working with DPS on training police officers to deal with women who are victims of sexual assaults as part of a grant from the Department of Justice to reduce violent crime against women.

Safety officials on other campuses are also aware of the correlation between alcohol and crime.

"Anything can happen when alcohol is involved," said Domenic Ceccanecchio, senior associate vice president for Public Safety at Drexel University. "All campuses across the country are concerned with this problem and have programs in place to deal with it," he said.

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