Unsafe at Any House?

Abstract

Although there has been considerable empirical attention to the problem of dangers posed by certain college party environments, little attention has been given to attendees' perceptions of possible danger cues in party environments, how such perceptions may be linked to concern for personal safety, or variations in perceptions of personal safety at party environments according to gender or party type (i.e., fraternity vs. nonfraternity). This study uses analyses of survey data to explore these issues. The findings suggest that (a) fraternity parties exhibit traits that may indicate greater danger; (b) some of these traits are linked to attendees' perceptions of personal safety; (c) men and women draw on different cues in making assessments of personal safety, but women feel no more threatened than men; and (d) the amount of alcohol consumed by other party attendees is not associated with perceptions of personal safety. Implications for theory and campus policy are discussed.