Campus ‘party scene’ encourages sexual assault, studies suggest
The typical college “campus culture”—which often features underage drinking, illicit drug use, and widespread promiscuity—bears a significant connection to rising rates of sexual assault, Amber Marshall recently argued in Cabrini College’s student newspaper The Loquitur.
Marshall cited a 2012 study from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health which “reported that nearly 60.3 percent of full-time students were current drinkers, 40.1 percent were binge drinkers, and 14.4 percent were heavy drinkers.” Additionally, “22 percent of full-time college students currently use illicit drugs, which consist of narcotics, stimulants, depressants (sedatives), hallucinogens and cannabis.”
“College campuses seem to be a breeding ground for irresponsible behavior,” Marshall suggested in her piece, adding that students must “be educated about the real risks that exist in the world of total freedom from parental units.” Taking into account the “campus culture” and the many situations in which students can be put at risk, college has now become “a highpoint for sexual assault to take place,” Marshall argued.
As tensions build concerning sexual assault on college campuses, movement toward establishing additional Title IX regulations has been stressed. However, these regulations have also resulted in various issues for religious colleges, including demands for transgendered students to be allowed to switch dorms in otherwise single-sex dorm arrangements, among other concerns.
The Newman Society has published several studies on the pervasiveness of binge drinking and the “hook-up” culture and offered practical solutions to create healthier college environments.
One such report—“Strategies for Reducing Binge Drinking and a ‘Hook-Up’ Culture on Campus” by Dr. Christopher Kaczor—states that immoral behavior encouraged by the “hook-up” culture “should especially concern Catholic universities, which seek to develop the whole person—socially, morally, and spiritually.”
Kaczor expanded on the dangers and influence that a utilitarian “hook-up” culture can have:
The ramifications of unhealthy behaviors in both drinking and sex go beyond the physical, psychological, and social damage to the individuals partaking in the activities. They affect the entire campus community by undermining the reputation of the institution, damaging the relationship to the local community, increasing the operating costs of the institution, lowering the academic quality of the university, and diminishing the institution’s ability to attract and retain excellent students and faculty.
Possible solutions, especially in the wake of rising sexual assault concerns, include campus-supported education in chastity—the success of which is evidenced by the Love and Fidelity Network’s efforts establishing groups valuing chastity, mutual respect, and healthy relationships on campuses, both Catholic and non-Catholic—promoting single-sex dormitories, and encouraging household communities that foster “communal, academic, and ethical development.”
Many such policies have been successfully implemented by Catholic colleges and universities recommended in The Newman Guide for their strong Catholic identity.
Reprinted with permission from The Cardinal Newman Society.