It doesn't surprise me. I have heard that a woman is twice as likely to be raped at a party where there is drinking, than at one where there is no drinking. Also, according to Violenceagainst Women, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, in 45% of rapists in America were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately, alcohol use is still quite a problem in indigenous communities (reservations), so it doesn't surprise me that it also has a high incidence of rape and physical abuse.
The same thing happened in Ohio and other places more than a hundred years ago, until the temperance movement greatly reduced alcohol use in communities. Prior to and just following the Civil War, alcohol use became so extreme that society was falling apart. Little work was getting done, violence towards women was up and children were going hungry because adults were too drunk to care for them or work. We look back at the temperance movement today almost like it was a joke... but it was no joke at the time. The temperance movement was started by women who were tired of being beaten by their husbands, and wanted food for their children. They weren't moralizing, they were simply desperate. More information about this is available in the program, Ohio: 200 Years, produced by pbs.org
