NCJ Number
203749
Date Published
2002
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This document discusses ways to combat student substance abuse and violence on campus.
Abstract
Attendees at the Roundtable on Community College Health and Safety: Preventing Substance Abuse and Violence reviewed the prevention needs of community colleges, major challenges they face, current resources, and key stakeholders that could contribute to campus-based prevention efforts. Community colleges require a prevention approach that is tailored to meet the needs of their students, many of whom go to school part-time, commute to campus, and are older than students attending other institutions. Community colleges are a significant component of the Nation’s system of higher education. A total of 1,166 institutions enroll approximately 10.4 million students, 5.4 million for credit and 5 million on a noncredit basis. This enrollment represents 44 percent of all United States undergraduates, including 45 percent of first-year students. Community college students are a varied population. More than half are women. More than half are part-time, carrying fewer than 12 credit hours. They represent 46 percent of the Nation’s African-American undergraduate student body, 46 percent of Asian/Pacific Islanders, 55 percent of Latinos, and 55 percent of Native Americans. The average student is 29 years old. Research on alcohol and other drug (AOD) use among these students is limited. Survey results show that these students drink less heavily than do students attending other colleges and universities. The reasons for this are that these students tend to be older, and they often work full-time, have children, or live with their parents. Few community colleges have fraternities and sororities or large intercollegiate athletics programs, and only 20 percent of community colleges have residence halls -- all features of college life that are known to increase the likelihood of (AOD) problems on campus. Community college students do report using tobacco, cocaine, and amphetamines at higher rates than students at 4 year institutions do. When compared with 4 year institutions of higher education, community colleges tend to have fewer staff and monetary resources devoted to prevention. Also, they are less likely to be involved in local, regional, or statewide AOD prevention efforts. 9 references, 2 appendices