36. Many victims and survivors described how they became reliant on alcohol or drugs during or following their experiences of child sexual abuse. Alcohol abuse was more commonly reported amongst male than female Truth Project participants (21 percent and 15 percent, respectively). Drug abuse was also reported more often by male participants (15 percent of male participants compared with 10 percent of female participants).

37. Some victims and survivors were given alcohol and drugs during child sexual abuse. This sometimes led to dependence. Daisy said that she started taking cocaine after being introduced to drugs by a man who “severely” physically and sexually abused her.^[1] Aged 12, Silas was drugged two or three times a week by a doctor who “put an injection in [his] arm” and sexually abused him.^[2]

38. Victims and survivors occasionally used alcohol and drugs to escape their memories of child sexual abuse. LA-A354 said that when he was 15 he started drinking and taking drugs as he was “really trying to blur out” his childhood.^[3] Zak said that he began drinking heavily and taking drugs after recollections of child sexual abuse started to return to him.^[4]