NCJ Number
210626
Journal
Acta Criminologica Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Dated: 2005 Pages: 1-14
Date Published
2005
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This article presents a process, outcome, and impact evaluation of a peer-led drinking and driving (DD) prevention program.
Abstract
While drinking and driving prevention programs aimed at adolescents are pervasive, they are also widely criticized for their ineffectiveness at changing this problem behavior in target groups. The program under evaluation had the goal of fostering appropriate drinking and driving attitudes and behaviors in an effort to decrease alcohol-related driving accidents and fatalities among youth. Following a description of the program, which involves four 3-hour workshops and cooperative and experimental learning techniques, the evaluation methodology is reviewed, which relied on purposive sampling to chose 111 participants who were undergraduate students and who were aged 17 to 24 years; all participants completed the DD prevention program. Participants completed a pre-test questionnaire prior to program implementation as well as a follow-up test questionnaire 4 months after the DD program completion. Questionnaires gathered information about drinking patterns, the prevalence of DD and driving with a drinking driver, risk behavior related to DD, behavioral intentions regarding DD, and peer norm qualities. Results indicated that the program was well-received and was assessed as being of good quality; outcome results revealed that the program succeeded in changing attitudes regarding DD; and the impact results suggested that the impact of the program was greatly reduced after 4 months. Future research should focus on how to maintain positive program results for longer periods of time following program completion. Tables, bibliography