Student-Generated Protective Behaviors to Avert Severe Harm Due to High-Risk Alcohol Consumption
September 23, 2020 - Sandi Smith, Charles Atkin, Carolyn LaPlante, Katherine Klein, Wilma Novales Wibert, Edward Glazer, Alex Mayer, Dennis Martell
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.