Introduction
Parties and drinking on campus contribute to the saddest parts of college life, including violence, sexual assault, rape, and death. High-risk drinking has been a long-standing problem in US college campuses. In the research conducted in the year 1989, 67 percent of students interviewed rated alcohol and drug misuse as a major challenge in college (Dejong 1). In the year 1999, a survey conducted by researchers in Harvard School indicated that two in every five students surveyed engaged in heavy drinking. From these reports, drinks and parties have been blamed as the main cause of colleges’ problems. Despite these negative effects, progress in reducing high-risk drinking has been slow (Dejong 1).
Approaches
With the ever-increasing cases of alcohol-related problems, college presidents have been forced to lower their drinking levels and partying among students. Currently, there have been emerging law cases aimed at reducing college high-risk drinking. In the recent past, US courts have increased pressure on universities and colleges demanding that they manage the high-risk drinking among their students (Smith 67). Through this, the US courts require colleges and universities to set up appropriate obligations. In this case, they take reasonable measures that create a safe environment by reducing foreseeable risk.
In the end, these programs are not only essential but also necessary in reducing alcohol-related problems on large scale. Similarly, community-based prevention approaches may be deployed. Through this, stakeholders need to reshape the physical, economic, and legal environment that concerns alcohol use. Based on this approach, the US Anti-Drunk Movement, the US Department of Higher Education, and the Center Of Drug Prevention should collectively urge and aid university administrators in adopting a comprehensive approach aimed at preventing high-risk alcohol and parties (Walters 45).
Colleges and universities are taking some important actions across the country. Many are trying to sever the connection between alcohol and sports by banning advertising in the programs for sporting events and prohibiting alcohol at college stadiums. Some colleges are discontinuing the practice of not holding classes or exams on Fridays, and are no longer allowing local bars to advertise drink specials in campus publications. In addition, some colleges are experimenting with new student housing arrangements, such as living-learning centers that take faculty members and classes into the dorms to try to change the environments there.
Environmental management
Prevention work in the public health arena is guided by a socio-ecological framework. This framework suggests that health-related problems and behavior, such as high-risk college drinking and partying, should be controlled through several levels of influence. Among these factors are intrapersonal factors, interpersonal factors, institutional factors, community factors, and public policies. As such, all prevention strategies and approaches aimed at reducing campus partying and alcohol-related problems should major on these factors (Shellenbarger 1). On the other hand, most campuses focus on intrapersonal factors, interpersonal factors, and institutional factors, neglecting the local and community factors. As a result, colleges and universities should instead focus on comprehensive approaches. Similarly, campus prevention activities focused on intrapersonal factors should be designed to increase students’ awareness of alcohol-related problems (Dejong 56). Through this, individuals’ attitudes and beliefs are altered fostering each student’s determination to avoid high-risk drinking. Among the most preferred approaches that should be employed by these institutions are freshman orientation, alcohol awareness weeks, curriculum infusions all aimed at warning students on dangers associated with high-risk alcohols and parties (Saltz 34). In so doing, rigorous training and education focusing on these educational programs would be implemented (Walters 45).
Cognitive-behavioral skills-based programs
Cognitive-behavioral programs should be adopted to prevent college drinking and parties. These programs should incorporate values clarification aimed at modifying students’ skills, beliefs, and behaviors associated with high-risk drinking (Dejong 152). Thus, all colleges and universities are to be skillful in handling the needs of students’ fun.
Conclusion
To prevent alcohol and parties related problems on campus, colleges and universities administrators should adopt more comprehensive prevention approaches that feature environmental strategies (Kellogg 1). Therefore, state-level associations should facilitate the simultaneous development of multiple campuses and community coalitions within the state. Having several institutions joining for common effort will make it clear that alcohol and partying-related problems are not one-campus problems, but nationwide problems. As a result, stakeholders are going to reinforce their fights against these habits. Similarly, the joint effort approach will draw the media’s attention, which can be used to depict the fact that high-risk drinking is not only a threat to our students’ future lives but also a threat to their health. In conclusion, more researches need to be conducted to assess the effectiveness of several approaches and build a true science of campus-based prevention.
Works cited
Dejong, William. “A Typology for Campus-Based Alcohol Prevention: Moving toward Environmental Management Strategies.” JOURNAL OF STUDIES ON ALCOHOL / SUPPLEMENT NO. 14, 2002 1.14 (2002): 142. Print.
Kellogg, Karen. “Binge Drinking on College Campuses | ERIC Educational Reports | Find Articles.” Find Articles | News Articles, Magazine Back Issues & Reference Articles on All Topics. Version 1. no publisher. 1999. Web.
Saltz, Robert F., and William DeJong. Reducing alcohol problems on campus a guide to planning and evaluation. Bethesda, Md.: Task Force of the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, 2002. Print.
Shellenbarger, Sue. “Curbing College Drinking – The Juggle – WSJ.” WSJ Blogs – WSJ. Version 1. no publisher, 2011. Web.
Smith, Michael Clay, and Richard Fossey. Crime on campus: legal issues and campus administration. Phoenix, Ariz.: Oryx Press, 1995. Print.
Walters, Scott T., and John Samuel Baer. Talking with college students about alcohol: motivational strategies for reducing abuse. New York: Guilford Press, 2006. Print.