How drinking and partner communication affect sexual violence in relationships
Determining the Proximal and Temporal Effects of Alcohol and Sexual Communication on Intimate Partner Sexual Violence among Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Couples
This project looks at whether alcohol use and the ways partners talk about consent and refusal influence sexual violence among both LGBTQ+ and straight couples.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11195017 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You and your partner would provide information about drinking and how you communicate about sex, and some couples will complete controlled lab sessions that examine behavior after alcohol or no alcohol. The research uses experimental tasks to test what happens right after drinking and daily reports over time to see how event-level alcohol use and different forms of consent or refusal relate to intimate partner sexual violence. The study enrolls both sexual minority and heterosexual couples and examines how each partner's drinking and communication affect the other. Results will be used to build a model explaining proximal and temporal triggers for IPSV.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults in romantic or sexual relationships (both partners willing to join), including same-sex and different-sex couples, who can attend lab sessions and complete daily reports.
Not a fit: People who are not currently in intimate relationships or who cannot participate in lab sessions or daily reporting are unlikely to directly benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could inform better prevention and intervention strategies that target drinking and communication to reduce intimate partner sexual violence.
How similar studies have performed: Most prior work on IPSV is cross-sectional and has not combined alcohol administration with intensive longitudinal dyadic methods, so this approach is relatively novel though informed by research on alcohol and non-sexual partner violence.
Where this research is happening
Aurora, UNITED STATES
- University of Colorado Denver — Aurora, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Leone, Ruschelle Marie — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Leone, Ruschelle Marie
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.