University of Cagayan Valley

School of Criminology
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Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction
Alcohol

has

been

part

of

our

history.

On

college

campuses across the Philippines, alcohol related culture is

tangled in school customs, social norms, and the academic
institution

itself.

Although

the

majority

of

college

undergraduates are below the legal drinking age, alcohol

continues to be widely used on some college campuses today.
The consequences of heavy or spree drinking pose serious
risk

for

drinkers,

but

also

for

those

in

the

immediate

environment.
Heavy drinking has been associated with physical or
sexual

assault,

criminal

violations,

and

unsafe

sexual

activity (Wechsler et al. 1994). Heavy alcohol use has also

been linked to adverse health consequences including vehicle
accidents, injuries, and accidental deaths. In research on
college students, heavy drinkers have been found to have
lower academic grades, miss class, and to fall behind in
school work most often.
The majority of existing research on college drinking
has focused on the consequences for the student who actively
consumes

alcohol;

yet,

virtually

all

college

students

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experience the effects of college drinking whether they

drink

or

not.

Although

heavy

drinkers

invite

negative

consequences for themselves, many of the problems involve

others.

These

secondary

consequences

include

vehicle

injuries, verbal disputes, and property damage (Wechsler et.

al. 1994). Existing research has shown that families of
alcoholics are negatively affected by the drinker and may
become victims of violent assault (Leonard 1993). Carnegie
Foundation (1990) found that alcohol abuse is also related
to campus crime.
The study is

important

because

it

examines

the

relationship between liquor drinking effects and students

college experience. It contributes to existing literature by
drawing

comparisons

between

students

who

abstain

from

alcohol to those who actively drink as regards to their

social

and

research
student

has

academic

highlighted

drinking

drinking

effects

attending

paths

level

a
and

(Wechsler

universities

with

while

in

positive
the
et

college.

relationship

experience

al.

higher

Previous

1995).

between

of

secondary

Also,

students

incidences

of

heavy

drinking are more likely to experience these effects. The

results show that students who drink alcohol and those who
abstain do not equally experience the negative consequences
of

their

peers

alcohol

consumption;

instead,

the

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School of Criminology
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relationship between experiencing adverse effects of alcohol

consumption

and

lower

academic

grades

and

greater

dissatisfaction with life at school is more pronounced for

students who abstain.
The secondary effects of heavy drinking can transform
the college environment from a cheerful academic setting to
one

where

the

scholarship
college

quality

is

alcohol

of

life

is

degraded

and

weakened.

The

research

is

programs

and

suggests

that

academic

beneficial
the

to

academe

should modify interventions strategies to promote health and

wellbeing for all groups on the university.
Hence, this study seeks to examine the

effects

of

alcohol for two distinct categories of college students:

students who abstain from alcohol consumption and those who
actively drink. These effects may include: having a serious
argument,

experiencing

study

or

sleep

disruption,

and/or

sexual assault. The researchers examine associations between

these

secondary

multiple

consequences

regression

grades,

overall

anxiety

about

models

of

satisfaction
grades.

of

The

college

three

with

drinking

outcome

life

at

researchers

with

variables:
school,

examine

and
the

consequences of peers drinking independent of demographic

and

background

controls

(e.g.,

age,

gender,

parents

drinking). The variables measured in this study were drawn

University of Cagayan Valley

School of Criminology
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from a selected representative sample of students of the

College of Criminology of the University of Cagayan Valley.
In addition, this study examines how criminology
students systematically accommodate the party scene that
influences the prevalence of alcohol consumption on campus.
The

research

students

summarizes

academic

existing

achievement

research

and

regarding

satisfaction

at

a
the

University.
Furthermore, the study provides a concise review of
current material relating to the structure of postsecondary
education

highlighting

the

role

of

alcohol

across

the

University particularly in the College Of Criminology.

It is therefore in the context that the researchers
pursued a study on the Perceived Causes of Liquor Exposure
among Criminology Students of University of Cagayan Valley.

Conceptual Framework
The

study

revolved

around

the

concept

of

perceived

causes of liquor exposure among criminology students; as to

how aware the respondents are in terms of the following
aspects, curiosity, stress reduction, failed grades, peer
factor and environment conditions and also how aware and
serious are they to the effects of exposure to liquor.

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Many problems arise due to drinking liquor. It would be

very necessary to find out what are the root causes of these
problems. The input variables of this study included the
profile of the respondents in terms of age, gender, year
level, highest educational attainment of parents, occupation
of parents, religious affiliation.
Some of the variables are viewed as some of the many
reasons that affect the students to drink that much.

This

study agrees on the idea that, ones frequency of liquor

intake is dependent on ones profile. It has been observed
that

male

students

practice

drinking

liquor

as

leisure

activity after school. If this practice will happen from

time to time, the academic performance of the students will
also be affected.

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Input

1. Profile of the
respondents
1.1.
Age
1.2. Gender
1.3. Year Level
1.4. Highest Educational
Attainment of
Parents
1.5. Occupation of
Parents
1.6. Religious
Affiliation
2. Perceived Causes of
drinking alcohol in
terms of:
2.1. Curiosity
2.2. Stress reduction
2.3. Failed Grades
2.4. Peer Factor
2.5. Environment
Conditions
3. Perceived Effects of
drinking liquor as to:
3.1.
Family
3.2.
School
3.3.Friends

Process
1.Assessing the profile
of the respondents
in
terms
of
Age,
Gender, Year Level,
Highest
Educational
Attainment
of
Parents,
Occupation
of
Parents
and
Religious
Affiliation.
2.Assessing
the
perceived causes of
drinking alcohol in
terms of Curiosity,
Stress
reduction,
Failed Grades, Peer
Factor
and
Environment
Conditions.
3.Assessing
the
perceived effects of
drinking liquor as
to
Family,
School
and Friends.
4.Correlating
the
perceived causes of
drinking liquor of
the
respondents
profile variables.
Feedback

Figure 1
Paradigm of the Study

Output

1. Determined the
perceived
causes
of
liquor
exposure among
criminology
students.
2. Proposed
measures
minimize
exposure
students
liquor.

to
the
of
to

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Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to determine the perceived causes of

liquor exposure among criminology students of University of
Cagayan Valley for S.Y 2015-2016.
Specifically, it sought to

answer

the

following

questions:
1 What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:
1

Age

Gender

Year Level

Highest Educational Attainment of Parents

Parents Occupation

Religious Affiliation

2 What are the perceived causes of drinking liquor by the

respondents in terms of the following aspects:
1 Curiosity
2 Stress Reduction
3 Failed Grades
4 Peer Factor
5 Environment Conditions

3 What are the perceived effects of exposure to liquor of

the respondents relative to:
1

Family

School

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School of Criminology
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Friends

4 Is there a significant relationship between the perceived

causes

of

liquor

exposure

of

the

respondents

and

their

profile variables?
5 What measures can be proposed to minimize the exposure to
liquor of the respondents?
Hypothesis
This study was guided by a lone hypothesis that there
is no significant relationship between the perceived causes
of liquor exposure of the respondents and their profile
variables.

Significance of the Study

The

result

of

this

study

would

be

useful

and

significant to the following:

Family. The result of this study will help the family
by simply making the parents secured about the future of
their children.
School/College. The result of this study will help the
criminology students to have peace and orderly place of
learning.

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University. The result of this study will serve as a

basis

of

the

Administration

in

enacting

rules

and

regulations of the University.

Researchers. The result of this study will help the
researchers about the possible causes of drinking liquor
among the criminology students.
Future researchers. The result of this study will help
the future researchers by providing them a basis for the
improvement of their own research pertaining to a topic they
would want to study.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This study focused only to the Perceived Causes Of
Liquor Exposure Among Criminology Students Of University Of
Cagayan

Valley.

The

perceived

causes

were

limited

to

Curiosity, Stress reduction, Failed Grades, Peer Factor and

Environment

Conditions.

This

study

was

conducted

at

the

University of Cagayan Valley particularly in the School of

Criminology. There were 340 respondents for the S.Y. 20152016.
Definition of Terms
For a better understanding of the terms used in this
study,

the

follows:

following

words

are

operationally

defined

as

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Alcohol consumption. This refers to the act of drinking

alcohol by the students of UCV- School of Criminology.
Causes of drinking alcohol. These are the identified
reasons why students take alcoholic beverages. These are:
curiosity, environment, peer pressure, stress reduction.
Curiosity. This refers to something that is interesting
because it is unusual.
Drinking liquor. This refers to the act of taking any
alcoholic beverages.
Drunkard. This refers to a person who is drunk or who
often gets drunk.
Environment. This refers to the condition and influence
effect of growth, health and progress.
Exposure. This refers to a condition of being affected
by something or experiencing something.
Peer. This refers to a person who is a member of the
same age group or same social group with same interests,
wants and dislikes.
Psychoactive effects. These are the effects of liquor to
the mind and behavior of a person.
Stress reduction. This refers to something that reduces
the feeling of worry, pain, anxiety and fatigue.
Age. It is a particular period of time in life or in
history.
Gender. It is a grammatical distinction of sex.
Year Level. Pertains to the educational distinction of
the students.
Highest Educational

Attainment.

The

level

of

the

systematic training of moral and intellectual faculties of a

person.

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Occupation. The act or state of occupying an employment.

Religious Affiliation. Manifestation of belief in the
Supreme Being