Imported and Inherent Factors in Relation to Drinking, Deviance, and Crime: A New Way of Examining Old Behaviors of College Students

• NCJ Number: 210268
• Journal: Journal of Crime & Justice Volume: 28 Issue: 1 Dated: 2005 Pages: 107-137
• Author(s): Melissa W. Burek; Jeanne M. Wright
• Date Published: 2005
• Length: 31 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

In looking beyond the commonly examined binge-drinking predictors for college students, this study investigated the role of "imported" risk factors (student traits that existed prior to the college experience) and "inherent" risk factors (college environmental and social influences) in a large sample of college students from the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study (CAS).

Abstract

The CAS is a voluntary, anonymous, mailed survey that consists of questions that pertain to college students' alcohol/substance use, school activities, behaviors under the influence of alcohol, and background characteristics and experiences. Beginning in 1993 and continuing in 1997, 1999, and 2001, the CAS has surveyed over 25,000 college students randomly selected from approximately 140 public and private 4-year U.S. colleges each survey year. The current study used responses from the 1999 survey. Dependent variables for this study were under the general categories of drinking behaviors by the respondent, respondent's deviant behaviors under the influence of alcohol, and crimes committed by the respondent. Independent variables were under the general categories of "imported" characteristics and "inherent" characteristics. Imported characteristics included family history of alcohol use, family feelings about alcohol, age of respondents, the onset of recreational drinking, the age of respondents, the onset of recreational drinking, the age at respondents' first inebriation, and experiences with alcohol during their senior year in high school. Variables inherent to the college environment included membership in a Greek organization, year in school, place of residence while in school, the existence of substance-free housing, and the campus policy on drinking. The imported and inherent factors found to be most predictive of binge drinking and associated problem behaviors were age, onset of getting drunk, high school experiences, campus residence, and campus policy on drinking. 5 tables and 29 references