NEWS
Study exposes spring break behavior
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Andriy Pazuniak:
- SSFC wittles Wunk Sheek budget (October 21, 2005)
- Cieslewicz, Judge come out on top in spring election (April 9, 2007)
- Music industry serves campus (March 22, 2007)
- UW to RIAA: No way (March 21, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Poll links spring break parties to injury, death (March 13, 2002)
- Study: students are safe tailgaters (October 7, 2004)
- 'How did I get here?': Blackouts and bad judgments (February 24, 2003)
- Spring-break meccas crack down (February 19, 2003)
- Teenage girls underestimate STD risk (October 21, 2003)
by Andriy Pazuniak
Wednesday, March 8, 2006
More sex, more drinking, more "sloppy and promiscuous" behavior.
That is what a majority of college-aged women will be facing during their spring break vacations, according to a study to be released today by the American Medical Association.
In a nationwide survey of more than 600 women aged 17 through 35 who attended or are currently attending college, nearly three-quarters of those polled said spring break trips "result in more sexual activity than typical college life," and more than 80 percent said those trips result in more drinking.
More than half agreed being "sloppy and promiscuous" on spring break was a way to fit in.
While most college students might not find these results surprising, Susan Crowley, director of the Policy Alternatives Community and Education project, called them "disturbing."
"It indicates there continues to be a promotion of a culture that women are easy marks on spring break," Crowley said. "Women are at a very high risk during spring break."
Other results of the study showed nine out of 10 women who went on a spring break trip knew friends were sexually active while drinking, and one-third said they engaged in sexual activity or heard of women doing so "every day or a majority of the days" during a spring break trip.
The study also reported more than two-thirds of women who went on a spring break trip knew someone who was sexually active with more than one partner during the trip, and six out of 10 women who went on a trip said they personally had or heard of women having unprotected sex.
One of the biggest surprises of the study, however, according to Robin Yoast, director of the AMA Office of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Abuse Prevention, is that most women are aware of the risks involved with heavy drinking and promiscuous sexual activity, yet choose to disregard them.
Additionally, nearly half of women who took spring break trips said they knew a friend who was injured or assaulted while drinking, or by someone who was drinking, during the trip.
"A vast majority of women understand the risk and dangers to them and don't change their behaviors," Yoast said.
Both Yoast and Crowley criticized the media and also the promoters of spring break trips for perpetuating a negative — yet influential — perception of spring break.
More than 80 percent of women surveyed said that images of college girls partying during spring break "may contribute" to women acting "more recklessly on those trips," and could contribute to "dangerous behaviors" by men toward women.
"Clearly, there's a lot of support among women to change the way spring breaks are promoted," Yoast said. "They really don't like the way women are portrayed."
However, Brent Snow, a University of Wisconsin sophomore and sales representative for spring break promoter Bianchi-Rossi, said spring break travel agents and advertisers are merely providing students with what they want.
"That's what college students are looking for," said Snow, who, along with a friend, received a significantly discounted spring break trip for signing up 24 people for a Bianchi-Rossi spring break tour. "From a business perspective, I don't think [there's something wrong]."
However, Snow added that, personally, he feels there are "negative points" to how spring break trips are advertised.
Yoast said university administrators could help prevent negative stereotypes of women on spring break from being promoted by limiting the types of advertisements allowed in university buildings and on campus.
"[Universities] can set restrictions in terms of what, how spring breaks are portrayed," Yoast said, adding universities should promote "safer" alternative spring break opportunities to students to show there are other options.
Anonymous (March 8, 2006 @ 9:17am):
are you f'ing kidding me if someone wants to go to spring break and do whatever they feel like thats their choice and regulating advertising is not going to stop that so PACE and the like need to pull their heads out of their asses and starting thinking realisticly
Anonymous (March 8, 2006 @ 11:11am):
"most women are aware of the risks involved with heavy drinking and promiscuous sexual activity, yet choose to disregard them."
so you got what you want - women can be as sexually open and free as men... but now its a bad thing. in fact, somehow that bad things is the fault of men... again. Make up your damn mind. These women are choosing to act the way they want. And i personally support the increased likelyhood of seeing some boobies while on spring break.
Anonymous (March 9, 2006 @ 12:18am):
instead of chastising women for putting themselves in these dangerous situations, we should be examining the role of the perpetrator. why do we allow this kind of violence to be something women inherently have to deal with.
