Daily Alcohol Use and Next-Day Intimate Partner Sexual Violence: Within-Person Associations and Individual Variability

OBJECTIVE: Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) is a widely prevalent form of sexual violence that is associated with significant mental health consequences. Although alcohol use is a well-documented risk factor for interpersonal and sexual violence broadly, research examining the bi-directional relationship between alcohol use and IPSV remains limited. METHOD: The current study used experience sampling methods to investigate the bidirectional momentary association between daily alcohol use (i.e., whether alcohol was consumed on a given day) and IPSV among adult women in relationships characterized by intimate partner violence. Participants completed daily surveys over a 30-day period, reporting on alcohol use occurrence and experiences of IPSV since the previous survey. RESULTS: Results of dynamic structural equation modeling demonstrated a significant between-person association, such that women who reported alcohol use on a greater proportion of days were also more likely to report IPSV. Further, there was a significant within-person cross-lagged effect such that alcohol use occurrence on one day was associated with next-day IPSV. There was significant variability in model effects suggesting that IPSV could be associated with next-day alcohol use for a subset of women. CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the importance of nuanced, person-centered approaches in research and intervention, emphasizing the heterogeneity in the alcohol use-IPSV relation. This study highlights the need for targeted prevention strategies that account for individual variability in momentary risk processes.