Introduction
Alcohol abuse is a rising concern in most colleges because of the many harmful effects it has to the drinkers. Alcohol abuse leads to many changes in the behavior of the abusers that range from blackouts, disagreements, engaging in fights, engaging in dangerous sexual behavior, and missing classes and work.
Heavy drinking predisposes the students to accidents and risk of sexual assault and abuse. The effects of alcohol abuse are many and most of the times regrettable. It causes low self-esteem that increases the risk of drug and substance abuse as well as engaging in risky sexual behavior. Thus, it increases the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.
It also affects academic performance of the individuals due to lost time and loss of concentration after a night of heavy drinking. In a study conducted in a historically black college, alcohol and marijuana consumption were both related to risky sexual behaviors. 83% of the participants reported to have had sex at one point in their life, 73% being sexually active at the time of the interview and more than half of the participants reported having unprotected sex (Poulson, Bradshaw, Huff, Peebles, and Hilton 530).
The students use alcohol for a number of reasons with the most astonishing being the use of alcohol to facilitate sexual experience by most males as it lowers their inhibitions and that of their sexual partners. This indicates that the young generation in colleges is changing fast with change in social norms. Using alcohol to increase sexual desire is bad for emotional and psychological development and it requires urgent attention as it can affect the lives of the college student later in life.
Drinking increases the blood pressure of individuals and this predisposes the individuals to hypertension and high blood pressure later in life (Carter-Edwards, Godette, White, and Tyson 152). These conditions are chronic and it means that after onset the individuals will forever be on medication. The sad thing is that they can be prevented by abstaining from alcohol and leading a balanced life as the effects are disastrous and lead to low quality lives later.
Understanding the attitudes of drinking in historically black colleges and universities is important in the society; this can allow educators and stake holders come up with strategies to combat the creeping problem in the school societies. The large number of students in these communities that engage in this vice is a single driving factor behind looking for a solution to the problem.
Methodology
The data for this research was obtained through questionnaires administered orally to the participants. They were questioned on their family background, education aspirations, religion, and their views on the legal drinking age in America and if underage drinking exposure has a major effect in later life.
They were also asked if they were used to alcohol. The survey was done on our institution’s students and the data was used to investigate the interrelationship between the family background, education aspirations, religion, and the probability of drinking based on the participant views.
The structure of the family has a very big role in the behavior of children. Thus, it will most likely determine if the individual will start drinking when in college. Parents have a big role in determining whether their children will take alcohol in colleges. The interviewer attempted to find whether the interviewees ‘family situation’ has an effect on the attitudes to drinking, and the age limit for drinking.
The survey also tried to find out the attitudes of the students to the drinking age limit and religion. Most participants had a very strong view towards the age limit mostly due to the health complications drinking causes. One participant claimed that individuals below the age of twenty-one were not mature enough to be able to drink responsibly.
Religion has a big role to play in the behavior of young people. This is because it forbids drug and substance abuse, and irresponsible sexual behavior. It is expected that religious students will not favor the reduction of the age limit and will not be involved in binge drinking, regular alcohol consumption, and irresponsible sexual behavior. The results will be tabulated in a table form and the researcher will make his observations based on the data acquired.
Results
Discussion
From the above data, most of the participants do not favor the reduction of the age limit because the young college students are not wise enough and because drinking causes health problems especially later in life. Participants have a strong view of the family and they value a good family background that is strong, organized, and well knit.
The relationship between the study habits, parent’s expectation, parental support, and binge drinking is not significant, but a significant relationship exists between binge drinking and parents happiness (Leppert and Worthy 4). This stresses the fact that the family unit can do a lot to bring up responsible college students who are more focused in education and who would abstain from alcohol.
Families with college students in historically black colleges and universities need to monitor their sons and daughters and actively increase the expectations of their sons. They should foster good relationships and should stress the importance of abstaining from drinking when in school.
Religion does not affect the drinking habits of the participants and it follows then that even other religious students drink regularly and hence it is not a contributing factor to drinking habits in Historically Black Colleges and Universities. If religion does not change the students’ behavior then the institution of the church has failed miserably and they should try harder to have an effect on the lives of their followers for them to have relevancy.
The social norms and risks of drinking alcohol do not affect the drinking habits of African – American college students rather their peer friends drinking habits do (Lewis, Werle and Fulton 67). This indicates that students with predominantly bad behaviors’ should be expelled from school to prevent the other students from aping them.
Parents should also know the people their sons and daughters are interacting with to monitor if they are a bad influence. This would reduce the incidences students drink and engage in risky sexual behaviors’ because of peer influence and when they are not ready to deal with the repercussions of their actions.
Conclusion
More research needs to be done on the patterns and drinking habits of college students in Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This is because the traditional approach of fear of sanctions and punishment are not working. Peer pressure seems to be the single most powerful tool that drives most African – American students to consume alcohol.
Peer counselors, school counselors, and educators need to come up with effective interventions that will change the prevailing beliefs and attitudes to drinking. The students must be taught how to avoid negative peer pressure that puts them at risk of irresponsible behaviors that predisposes them to many diseases and illnesses. This would enable them to be more productive later in life.
Works Cited
Carter-Edwards, Lisa, Godette, Dionne, White, SS &Tyson, Andy. Conceptual Framework for Studying Alcohol Intake and Blood Pressure on Historically Black College and University Campuses. Journal of drug Education, 2009. 39,149-165
Leppert Blair and Worthy Sheri Lokken. Predictors of Binge Drinking Among College Students. Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences Volume 7 – 2008. ISBN 1-929083-13-0
Lewis, Todd, Werle, Elizabeth and Fulton Cheryl. Modeling Alcohol Use Intensity among Students at a Historically Black University: The Role of Social Norms, Perceptions for Risk, and Selected Demographic Variables. Journal of Black Psychology, 2011. 0110095798411424745,
Poulson, Rebecca, Bradshaw Sidney Donald, Huff, JM, Peebles, L and Hilton, Barron. Risky Sex Behaviors among African American College Students: The Influence of Alcohol, Marijuana, and Religiosity. North American journal of psychology,. 2008.10 529-542.