Between the flags: an assessment of domestic and international university students’ knowledge of beach safety in Australia

Abstract

This paper assesses the behaviour of international and domestic students on beaches in Queensland, Australia and their knowledge of beach safety practices. The data for the research was collected from Surf Life Saving Queensland lifeguards/savers, using a focus group interview and a questionnaire survey distributed to a convenience sample of students from The University of Queensland. The results of the research indicate that the international students are more likely to engage in ‘risky’ behaviour at the beach and be less aware of beach safety practices than their domestic counterparts. However, the domestic students also showed significant room for improvement in their behaviour and knowledge of safe practises while at the beach. Of particular concern is the failure of a significant number of students to operationalise their knowledge of safe beach practices to avoid swimming in potentially dangerous circumstances.