An Examination of College Students' Adult Sexual Assault Experiences, Risky Drinking Behaviors, Alcohol Centrality Beliefs, and Restorative Justice Attitudes.

Sexual assault is an issue on college campuses and links to alcohol use and centrality beliefs. Severity of sexual assault experiences and alcohol use and centrality beliefs, independently and jointly, have deleterious effects on individuals' well-being. However, little is known about how this shapes individuals' perceptions of interventions that can aid in their restoration and healing - such as their attitudes toward restorative justice. In a sample of 2,056 college students, we examined whether adult sexual assault experiences relate to alcohol consumption and centrality beliefs, and evaluated differences based on gender and survivor status. In addition, we examined participants' restorative justice attitudes on the relationship between adult sexual assault experience severity and alcohol use and centrality beliefs. We found significant differences in support for restorative justice based on survivor status and gender. Structural Equation Modeling also revealed a significant direct effect between sexual assault severity and alcohol use and centrality beliefs. Additionally, we found a significant negative effect between restorative justice attitudes and alcohol use and centrality beliefs. This study provides a unique understanding of the relationship between college students' adult sexual assault experiences, alcohol use and centrality beliefs, and their restorative justice attitudes as a potential mechanism for intervention.