There’s something of an interesting paradox for some parents of college students. On the one hand, they know that college has a reputation as being a place where a lot of underage drinking and partying takes place. On the other hand, they don’t believe that their child would be involved with that.
So, how often do college students actually drink, even when they’re under the age of 21? Is this as common as it often seems in popular media, or is it just a small fraction of students who have created this reputation?
Though some are legal, the majority of students drink
Studies are actually pretty clear about this. In one study, for instance, it was found that more than 52% of college students admitted to drinking alcohol. This means that the majority of them do consume alcohol. The one caveat is that these students were between 18 and 22 years old, so some of them were drinking when it was legal.
But this still helps to show just how common drinking is at college. Most students will do it, and even roughly a third of them said that they would binge drink. While parents who believe that their children are not involved in this activity may be correct in some cases, the odds are certainly stacked against them. And even children who do not drink frequently and who do not binge drink may occasionally consume alcohol with their friends or classmates.
If your child is arrested and accused of underage drinking, you certainly want to protect their academic future, and you need to know about all of the legal options that your family has.