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The transition from high school through the first year of college often increases young women's alcohol consumption and can have dangerous physical, sexual, and psychological implications, according to a report out of the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions.

Kathleen Parks, principal investigator on the study, published in the January 2008 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, said: "This is the first study that we know of that has compared risk for physical and sexual assault among college women based on changes in drinking during this transition period.

"Clearly, abstaining from drinking is a protective measure. However, young college women should be aware that becoming a new drinker or increasing one's drinking during this transition increases the likelihood of victimisation."

The study found that 78 per cent of the 870 incoming freshmen women who participated in the study did not experience any victimisation.

However, among the 22 per cent of women who were victimised, 13 per cent experienced severe physical victimisation and 38 per cent experienced severe sexual victimisation.

In addition, the chances of first-year college sexual victimisation significantly increased with each pre-college psychological symptom (anxiety, depression) and each pre-college sexual partner a woman reported, the researchers said in a statement.

"Clearly, abstaining from drinking is a protective measure. However, young college women should be aware that becoming a new drinker or increasing one's drinking during this transition increases the likelihood of victimisation," Dr Parks said.

Article published on 11/02/2008 by DryOutNow.com

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