Prior to your sons and daughters’ first year at Clarkson College, they’ll be asked to complete an online teaching exercise called the College Alcohol Profile (CAP).
This will provide them with some feedback about the choices, risks, and consequences of drinking. It will also help to correct misperceptions about the drinking norm itself at Clarkson College. Part of this training will be some specific suggestions about how to avoid high-risk drinking.
We want you to know what they’ll be taught here, so you can add to or reinforce those strategies.
Here are some strategies you may use to talk to your sons and daughters about how they can manage situations to keep them safe. It’s best to choose a couple of the strategies, based on what you know about your sons and daughters.
Make sure your sons and daughters have a plan of some activities that could be used in place of drinking.
Students often report holding a drink but not actually drinking it. This deception helps others to leave them alone and not pressure them to drink something.
This strategy involves questioning the other person about pressure. Effective phrases include:
Have your sons and daughters talk with a friend before the party, and share a plan to stay safe. Ask that friend to help make sure they both stick to the plan.
Suggest your sons and daughters have a plan for how to get home if there’s no one at the party who has not been drinking or if they’re in a situation they feel is unsafe.
Most underage drinking occurs at parties, and in most cases, your sons and daughters know that alcohol will be at the party. They need to have a plan for how they’re going to deal with the situation so they’ll stay safe.
If your sons and daughters typically converse with a lot of humor, advise them to use it to think of things to say that can get them out of a bad situation. Encourage them to make the humorous statement on their own, so it’s something they feel confident in.