West Virginia University sociology professor Karen G. Weiss teaches at Playboy magazine's number one party school, which likely gave her same great insight for her new book — "Party School: Crime, Campus, and Community."
Weiss spoke with Allie Grasgreen at Inside Higher Ed about her book, covering topics from why the party school allure appears to be increasing to potential effects on neighboring communities. The full interview is certainly worth a read — check it out here— but Weiss had a particularly interesting comment about student safety that's worth highlighting.
When IHE asked Weiss about what administrators should be doing to keep students safe in a party school atmosphere, here's what she had to say:
I think that most schools try to educate students about the problems linked to alcohol and drugs, but the education is usually "white noise" that students readily dismiss. After all, they already know that partying comes at a cost. I argue in the book that most students who party recklessly willingly take these risks; many see occasional injuries or black outs as collateral damage or the price they must pay for the admission to the party. Therefore, the only program that would effectively keep students safer, and that students themselves support, is the implementation of medical amnesty programs, where students can be assured that if they call 911 to get help for themselves or friends in crisis, they will not face legal consequences for underage drinking or illicit drug use. Schools may be hesitant to implement these programs because they don't want to appear to condone drinking and drug use. But if safety is a priority, these programs would be the most effective way to reduce potential tragedies related to partying.