This article presents bystander intervention education as a best-practice approach to sexual violence prevention in college settings. It draws out a connection between mission-specific resources that can be used to advance the prevention agenda, while examining how bystander intervention education can deepen community engagement in collegiate…

Every fall, college and university campuses and communities brace for the onslaught of new and returning students. For first-year students, anecdotal evidence suggests that the first six weeks of enrollment are critical to success. Because many students initiate heavy drinking during these early days of college, the potential exists for excessive…

Campus-based efforts to reduce alcohol and other drug abuse and violence (AODV) will be more successful if they involve a wide range of stakeholders--including students--who can contribute to the program's design, implementation, and evaluation. Students provide a unique perspective on AODV prevention, and they can also bring a certain authority…

"Pregaming" or "pre-loading" is what college students call the practice of drinking alcohol in a private setting prior to attending an organized event or social activity where alcohol might or might not be served. According to one student, "Pregames are usually a fun part of the night because you're just with a few close…

While some may view college drinking as a "rite of passage" for students, the consequences of underage and high-risk drinking leave no room for doubt--excessive alcohol use is harmful, affecting both students and the institution as a whole. Not only do heavy drinkers negatively affect their own health and academic potential but also the physical,…

Coohey's (2006) valuable research demonstrates that Child Protective Service (CPS) investigators use generally consistent criteria in determining when to charge a non-offending mother for failing to protect a child from sexual abuse. She concludes that the most reliable predictor that a formal charge of child neglect will be filed against a mother…

U.S. Department of Education (DOE) data showed a 1999 increase in drug and alcohol arrests on college campuses. Also, the number of reported sex offenses rose by 6 percent from 1998-99. Some experts question the validity of the year-to-year comparisons and the DOE data. Presents statistics on sex offenses, drug use, and drinking and football. (SM)

This report provides an analysis of recent findings on drug and alcohol use trends among girls. Data indicate that girls have caught up with boys in illicit drug and alcohol use and have actually surpassed boys in cigarette and prescription drug use. Also, more girls than boys are new users of substances. Marijuana is the illicit drug most widely…

During the year 2004, 20% of eighth-graders and 60.3% of twelfth-graders reported that they had gotten drunk at least once over the course of just one year, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA). Of the 10.7 million underage youth who drink, 7.2 million or 31% of all high school students binge drink with a frequency of at least…

The University of California at Santa Barbara Reader's Theater program educates students about the prevention of alcohol abuse, sexual assault, and HIV through a live, dramatic script reading. Peer educators serve as both actors and follow-up workshop discussion facilitators. (SM)

Although higher education for 50% of all school leavers by 2010 is the stated aim of the United Kingdom government, it is clear that initiatives aimed at widening access do not reach those most in need. This is nowhere more true than in the case of people who have spent all or part of their childhood in the care of local authorities, and who…