College Students Likely to Protect Female Friends after a Night of Drinking
How important is it to keep your friends close? If you are a female in college and plan to drink, plan to keep them the closest. According to a recent Science Daily report, college students watch out for their female friends after a night of alcohol consumption. They won’t let their friends engage in risky sexual behaviors that can have dire consequences.
Conducted by researchers at Arizona State University, this study found that 75 percent of participants noted they would not take risks in relation to making sure a female friend is safe when alcohol is being used. Participants noted they would convince a female friend to not go home with a new male acquaintance or would personally make sure the friend got home safely.
Three specific strategies would be used by friends after a night of drinking to protect a female friend. These strategies included highlighting the regret associated with that behavior; using trickery or deception; and implementing a direct confrontation. Researchers suggest – as a result of these findings – that claims surrounding college students routinely engaging in risky sexual behavior while under the influence of alcohol may be exaggerated.
So why is the influence of friends so strong? The study found that college students value their friendships and participants in the study reported they were more likely to step into a situation if it meant protecting a friend. At the same time, participants were more likely to let a friend go home with an acquaintance if they knew him.
Researchers involved in this study suggest the classroom is a great place to learn the communication skills necessary to discuss issues related to alcohol consumption and risky behaviors to develop the skills necessary to carry over into a social setting.
