Binge Drinking: Article Analysis

The main focus of this article is the correlation between the occurrence of rape and women binge drinking. The author believes that “a common denominator in these cases is alcohol, often copious amounts, enough to render the young woman incapacitated.” The idea that binge drinking on college campuses isn’t healthy is correct: the over-consumption of alcohol can literally kill people. What it can’t do is make a woman, or a man, responsible for a crime committed against them. Binge drinking doesn’t make students more likely to rape or be raped. Blaming assault on drinking is wrong, not to mention dangerous. No one drinks assuming something terrible will happen. When people are raped while drunk and while not drunk, it is because they are in the presence of a

I agree with few ideas found within this article, as the majority of the points made are demeaning to victims. Not only does this article blame female victims, it completely ignores male victims. She goes on to discuss the issues that women face within society, and how the fear of telling women about the dangers they face when they drink too much. However, I believe that society has no issues telling women what they can and can’t do. By blaming the occurrence of rape on women binge drinking, the writer is attempting to tell women what not to do. The author writes in a way that makes it simple for rape and other forms of sexual assault to be blamed on alcohol, instead of the perpetrators of the crimes. Unfortunately, this is not what is being addressed. The author fails to acknowledge this crucial detail until her closing paragraph of a piece spent blaming women for drinking themselves into victimization. What anyone can do to stop rape: They can not rape. We need to place the burden of blame for these assaults where it belongs- on the individuals who choose to commit