The study in the journal Behavioral Sciences examined whether parents' attitudes before and during the first college year influence student binge drinking and joining fraternities or sororities. Researchers surveyed both parents and students, focusing on heavy episodic drinking, which the paper defines as four or more drinks for women and five or more for men.
Parents were asked before students left home and again during the first year about how wrong it would be for their student to engage in heavy drinking. Students reported how permissive they thought their parents were. The results show that students who reported higher parental permissiveness were more likely to join Greek-affiliated organizations.
Membership in fraternities or sororities was associated with a higher risk of binge drinking and negative consequences such as alcohol poisoning and blacking out. Lead author Kristi Morrison and coauthor Jennifer Duckworth say the findings can help universities find moments for intervention. The authors suggest parenting programs that teach clear guidelines and encourage conversations about risks.
Difficult words
- survey — ask people questions to collect informationsurveyed
- heavy episodic drinking — drinking of four or more drinks for women, five for men
- permissiveness — willingness to allow behaviour or rule breaking
- fraternity — male student social organization at a collegefraternities
- sorority — female student social organization at a collegesororities
- intervention — action to stop or reduce a problem
- guideline — a clear rule or advice for behaviorguidelines
- alcohol poisoning — serious illness from drinking too much alcohol
- black out — lose memory or consciousness after drinkingblacking out
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- What could parents say to their children before college to reduce risky drinking?
- Do you think parenting programs with clear guidelines would help reduce binge drinking? Why or why not?
- How might joining a fraternity or sorority change a student's drinking habits?
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