Student-Generated Protective Behaviors to Avert Severe Harm Due to High-Risk Alcohol Consumption

Abstract

High-risk alcohol consumption is a significant problem on college campuses that many students see as a rite of passage in their development into adulthood. Developing effective prevention campaigns designed to lessen or avert the risks associated with alcohol consumption entails understanding how students perceive harmful consequences as well as the ways they protect themselves while drinking. This study used survey research to determine what undergraduate students perceived to be the most severe alcohol-related harms and the protective behaviors that they thought would be effective at averting those harms. Results showed that students saw forced sex as the most severe alcohol-related harm, and the most commonly described protective behavior was personal responsibility. Implications of these findings for campus-focused health communication strategists and directions for future research are discussed.

Do students use contextual protective behaviors to reduce alcohol-related sexual risk? Examination of a dual-process decision-making model.

“…Although the majority of these experiences involve alcohol, alcohol interventions alone are not sufficient for reducing related problems as they often include components of social interaction or environmental risk. Consistent with previous work (Smith et al, 2011), our findings show college students already endorse a wide variety of CPBs. Within the current study, eight out of 13 strategies were endorsed as being used regularly by more than half of the sample.…”

University students' perceived susceptibility to alcohol retail sales promotions

“…According to Arnett (2005), emerging adulthood is a period during which numerous developmental changes (such as changes in residence, employment, education, and romantic relationships) occur and therefore is defined as the transitional period from high school to young adulthood. Many who are in emerging adulthood see excessive alcohol consumption to be a part of a rite of passage (Smith et al , 2011). Boys et al (2003) reported that in the UK a normalization of involvement with alcohol occurred between the ages of 15 and 17; despite still being under the legal drinking age of 18, most 17‐year‐olds were socialised into adult patterns of drinking behaviour, which, for a substantial minority, included consumption above recommended levels, drunkenness, and negative consequences.…”

Confessing sex in online student communities

“…The university student years are a time when many young adults engage in the negotiation, development, and management of orientations to sex and sexuality. Previous research has examined sex-related phenomena including sex as a characteristic of risky behavior (see, e.g., Lindgren et al, 2009;Smith et al, 2011), the practice of casual sex (see, e.g., Grello et al, 2006;Paul and Hayes, 2002) and sexual relationships between students and academic staff (see, e.g., Richards et al, 2014;Taylor, 2011). However, less is known about how students discuss and negotiate matters of sexual behavior in naturally occurring interactions, particularly in online communities.…”