<p>College students are at high risk of experiencing serious problems related to physical and social health issues that include binge drinking, sexual assault, and contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Despite research reporting that many of these incidents co-occur on campuses, university prevention programs have failed to present the inter-relatedness of these issues. The current study examined combining three topics into a single prevention strategy; excessive alcohol consumption, coercive sexual behavior related to alcohol, and unsafe sexual practices. This quasi-experimental, quantitative study examined an integrated orientation strategy focusing on changing student behaviors in these domains. The study was conducted at a small, independent campus in Southern California. A total of 1,487 students, ages 18 to 24 years of age, participated in this survey design study. A non-randomized control group consisting of 138 students was used. The model was found to have significant effects, the most salient being that students who received the intervention made less risky decisions than those who did not attend the program. This change was observed in all three behavior domains. Special attention was paid to athletes, members of fraternities and sororities, and LGBT students. For Greek students who received the intervention, alcohol risk decreased significantly. For athletes who received the intervention, scores decreased significantly in regard to alcohol use as it relates to consent. Multiple linear regressions revealed that the intervention was a strong predictor of engaging in less risky behaviors around the use of alcohol and around alcohol as it relates to consent. Recommendations for future research include replication of the present study on small and large campuses, comparison to single model instructional methods, investigation of models that address the needs of LGBT students, and the use of bystander intervention skills within an integrated model. Implications for theory, policy, and practice are presented and discussed emphasizing the need to choose integrated prevention strategies that will address individual campus needs and create a safer community for university students. Given the high rates of all three behaviors, campus administrators are urged to implement and enforce prevention programs and consistent policies. </p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:3576648 |
| Date | 17 December 2013 |
| Creators | Smith, Diane Dani |
| Publisher | California State University, Fullerton |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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