Criminal Victimization of International Students: Findings From a Critical Issues Forum

Forum participants agreed that while reducing criminal victimization of international students is a top priority, several unique challenges are keeping more effective prevention practices from taking root on campuses across the country. They recognized that many of these challenges could be overcome by increasing engagement with international students, improving coordination between officials on and off campus, and by deploying more proactive measures to address fundamental environmental conditions that may lead to an elevated risk of victimization.

In the course of the forum, participants identified five potential practices for U.S. campuses to consider while developing or enhancing their own victimization prevention strategies:

It is important to note that while participants focused on the five areas above, they recognized that international students could be victimized despite all best efforts to reduce risk. They acknowledged the need to not only focus on victim risk reduction, but to also tackle the environmental and cultural factors that allow for victimization in the first place. To help alleviate the overall conditions that can increase victimization risk, participants suggested more educational efforts with the entire campus community and strong partnerships with community stakeholders off campus.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

 

Each April since 1987, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) has sponsored Alcohol Awareness Month to increase public awareness and understanding, reduce stigma, and encourage local communities to focus on alcoholism and alcohol-related issues. The 2018 theme -----Changing Attitudes: It's not a 'rite of passage' -----is designed to draw attention to the opportunities individuals, families, campuses, and communities have to educate young people on the dangers of alcohol use. Society sometimes thinks of underage drinking as a "rite of passage." This year's theme calls upon people to change this attitude and take an active role in learning about alcohol and drugs and help young people do the same.

 

"Alcohol and drug use is a very risky business for young people," says Andrew Pucher, president and CEO of NCADD, "and parents can make a difference. The longer children delay drinking and drug use, the less likely they are to develop any problems associated with it." Research has shown that kids who have conversations with their parents and learn a lot about the dangers of alcohol and drug use are 50 percent less likely to use these substances than those who don't have such conversations. Parents and other influential figures can help young people learn that alcohol is not necessary for having a good time and non-use of alcohol is a healthy and viable option.

 

NCADD's 32nd Annual Alcohol Awareness Month Organizer's Guide (PDF) is designed to aid NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month supporting organizations across the country to address underage drinking through a broad range of media strategies, awareness campaigns, educational programs, and local events. In addition to the resources found in this guide, colleges and universities looking to promote this national awareness month can find sample tweets, a web badge, and ways to get involved at healthfinder.gov.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention produce a monthly report called  Vital Signs. Each issue covers an important health threat and what can be done to drive down the disease. Since the series began, six reports have covered the topic of alcohol, including binge drinking and alcohol poisoning. Visit the  Vital Signs Alcohol web page to access these reports or sign up to receive this publication.

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