Introduction
As many students are nearing the end of their schooling lives, a popular way to debrief and feel free is by spending a week partying with friends at schoolies. Many spend their time at places like the Gold coast or even Bali to let their hair down after attending school for almost 13 years. As many find this week fun, there are many potential risks that are involved with school leaver parties; a major issue is alcohol, with approximately 75% saying they had been drunk while on schoolies (drug. ARM, Nov 13, 2013). Another contributing factor to harm at schoolies is unsafe sex practices i.e. unprotected sex, sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexually transmitted infections, and influence effected sex. These issues are often combined and can lead to regret and shame: ‘A survey of 500 school-leavers found that many expected to drink heavily and 'hook up' with someone, but seven out of 10 rated the week-long celebration a negative one,’ (Tasker, November 14, 2011). As thousands flock to the Gold Coast for a week, many are not aware of the risky behavior they may find themselves being involved in and the lack the knowledge on how to stay safe and protected. With three-quarters of school leavers admitting to having been drunk while away partying, many who consumed high levels of alcohol found themselves in other risky situations such as unprotected sex or rape. While a majority of school leavers will not engage in sexual activity, sexual assault and harassment is another dangerous factor for teenagers at parties as many older predators are drawn to the event (Wolfe, NOVEMBER 18, 2018) preying on young people who are under the influence and can’t give consent.
Define the Issue
This social rite of passage to celebrate the end of school by going into an unsupervised environment, where many are of the legal age to drink and therefore partake in risk-taking behavior, put themselves at risk with unsafe sex practices. With young people consuming an average of nearly nine standard alcoholic drinks a session during Schoolies Week celebrations (VicHealth, 21 Nov 2014), which raises concerns with families about the safety of their children as they go away for schoolies. The effects of alcohol can lead to many risky decisions that these teenagers would normally not make, such as unprotected sex and “hooking up”. Many parents fear the week of schoolies and with the statistics like: 29.6% had sex, 24.6% got injured or hurt, and 10.6% were in a car with a drunk driver (ABC News, 15 Nov 2013), back up these fears and each year more and more parents are becoming concerned that when their child is away they will get hurt or do something they regret. The overwhelming link between alcohol and unsafe sex practices and schoolies is showing that there needs to be something done prevent STIs, regret, sexual assault/ harassment, and/ or predatory encounters. ‘Health officials have warned of an STD epidemic among schoolies as sales of the morning-after pill spike’ (Jeremy Pierce, November 18, 2013), this alarming evidence is why safe sex education should be implemented well before school leavers go for schoolies, as the use of condoms reduces the risk of contracting chlamydia and gonorrhea with a 98% success rate, (Western Australia Department of Health, n.d.). The issue is that school leavers and teenagers going away to schoolies do not grasp the dangers of alcohol consumption and unsafe sex practices, where more could be done educating against peer pressure and challenging the normality of drinking as a way of feeling free and escaping.
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Current Action Areas
Currently, there are many educational programs and websites aiming to educate and teach schoolies safe practices concerning alcohol consumption and safe sex. One particular educational website is Red Frogs Australia. This website entails information for school leavers, parents, teachers, and volunteers. They run educational programs, which aim to provide students with the knowledge to make positive life choices and be a voice of change within their culture. They are present at many university parties to supply support and education to partygoers. They recognize that ‘excessive consumption of alcohol and other substances can mean that things can often get out of hand and potentially alter the direction of a young person’s future. Our volunteers act as the eyes and ears in accommodation venues and out on the streets, providing a positive peer presence to school leavers,’ (Red Frogs Australia, n.d.). This organization is one that is making change and creating a supportive environment amongst teenagers at schoolies. They create a safer drinking environment and aim to make education vital before schoolies as they aim to concrete safer practices and with help from volunteers who hand out cups of water (445,295 annually), walk students home to ensure a safe return (longest being an 8km journey), cooking food, visiting and/ or cleaning your room, filling you up on Allen’s Red Frogs and offering emotional support through what can often be a challenging week. Their team also takes calls from schoolies (9615 taken in 2018), 69,293 students are now more educated before they head off and all with the help of 4056 volunteers recruited each year. They reach many festivals, universities, and schoolies locations to provide aid and since their implementation, have been extremely successful with such high statistics and positive feedback. By their team of volunteer being there for those school leavers who are under the influence of alcohol, they are preventing risky behavior and decisions such as unsafe sex and ‘ hookups’ by making sure teenagers get home safe.
Recommendation
Prevention and education is always the best method to reduce risk and raise awareness about pressing social issues as shown by the overwhelming amount of growth from red frogs (Red Frogs Australia, n.d.). By introducing an early action plan entailing educational courses offered to students throughout each year at high school the stigma around drinking, drugs, and unsafe sex practices would be more understood and potentially implemented. If students are educated on the risks and knowing how many drinks is the legal limit and limit for your body can be cemented into their minds before they spend a week of drinking and partying and leave school with a better knowledge on safe drinking. A study done by Lake‐Hui Quek and other researchers looked into a harm prevention strategy called Choices which is a theatre program which aims to educate year 12 students about schoolies and how to stay safe. This engaging and educational performance was well received by students from the 28 from Mackay and Townsville, which were the focus study schools. With (48% attending the performance) (LAKE‐HUI QUEK, 22 April 2012). If more initiatives like these were implemented and made mandatory throughout each year of high schools to see a visible improvement of behavior and statistics from schoolies. By having, a government initiative in schools throughout Australia there would be an improvement and a supportive environment for school leavers.
Conclusion
The huge risk of school leavers engaging in risky behavior due to alcohol consumption can play a vital role in the statistics around unsafe sex practices which are alarmingly high with these statistics from 1,500 people surveyed, found; 16.8% had unprotected sex, 29.6% had sex and 13.1% reported to have been sexually harassed (ABC News, 15 Nov 2013). With the contributing factor of high levels of alcohol consumption, many found themselves involved in risky situations and dong things they regret such as sex (Tasker, November 14, 2011). With other issues such as the surge in unprotected sex with the evidence of the morning after pill purchases spiking (Jeremy Pierce, November 18, 2013), a high risk of predators at schoolies harassing found teens such as the 55-year-old man who was arrested for filming up girls skirt at the schoolies event in 2006, (Stolz, November 21, 2006), precautions are necessary to ensure safety of those attending schoolies. Organizations such as red frogs Australia are providing a safe and supportive environment on the ground at schoolies with relief stations, people making sure you make it home safe and it it all done through volunteers helping ensure the safety of these school leavers. By implementing an educational program throughout each year of high school by the time it I their time to attend schoolies students will have a wealth of knowledge on how to drink safely and look after themselves and their friends. In the study by Lake‐Hui Quek and other researchers found their educational performance Choices had a good influence on those who attended and got great feedback from what they provided. To reduce harm and create a safer and supportive environment governments and schools should look at educational programs to reduce risks surrounding drinking and unsafe sex practices.
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