What to Know about Spring Break and Your College Student

Spring Break is here for many colleges and high school students!

For some Spring Break is a time to get away with your family, but for many it is a time to do "whatever you want" with the thought of no consequences.

Here is an article from The Culture Translator for all parents to watch.  The links provided in this article will take you to videos from Fox News.

If you are a parent of a Spring Breaker, this is a must read.  Educate yourself on what your college student will be exposed to and talk to them about making healthy choices so they don't suffer the consequences that many other young college students have.

If you are a parent of a college student, please read this and the associated links.  

The Spring Break Phenomenon (from Culture Translator)

March marks the beginning of spring break season, and this month, hundreds of thousands of students will migrate south for fun and sun in what is now popularly described as “the spring break phenomenon.” In most cases, the scene can only be described as debauchery, and perhaps nowhere else can the nature of hook-up culture be witnessed so explicitly. The ethos, and lie, of spring break is that anything goes, you can do whatever you want with no consequences—go wild, get crazy, get wasted, have sex. What happens on Spring Break stays on Spring Break.

According to a Penn State professor, this annual rite of passage is indicative of a larger social problem among students: “The more you are part of the party atmosphere in the university, the more likely you are to engage in those behaviors during spring break,” including binge drinking and casual sex. A survey of last year’s spring break attendees reveals that 30% of respondents said they had “8 or more” drinks during the day while on spring break, and 65% of respondents said they had at least one sexual experience. It’s a dangerous cocktail of alcohol-induced inhibition, sexual exploitation, and peer pressure that often leads to unwanted and damaging sexual encounters.

But unlike the expectation, Spring Break isn’t a time when the laws of the universe are suspended; every cause still has an effect. And those who participate become slaves of the system, bound by self-destructive norms and the consequences long after their hangovers fade to distant memories.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We can begin teaching our kids at young ages how to rest well and discern the emptiness behind the tempting facade. And even if our kids are already in college, we can still have constructive conversations that point toward the deeper, more fulfilled life. If you’re looking for ways to redeem this annual tradition while equipping your teen to resist the normalization of illicit behavior, check out our “Parent’s Guide to Spring Break.” It’s an incredible read that will help you understand the root issues and how to draw your kids into a grander, more fulfilling narrative.

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Educate your college students on the dangers of the spring break attitude "anything goes".

You may have your own spring break regrets, and this generation is exposed to more than yours was.  Let's protect these young people and provide all the information we can to them.

Blessings,

Dayna