16

CARIBBEAN SECONDARY EXAMINATION COUNCIL

SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT: SOCIAL STUDIES

To what extent do students in the area, 2A Marescaux Road

Kingston 10, whether male or female, ages 13-18 engage in

The consumption of alcohol and what measures can be

Implemented to minimize the problem?

16

CANDIDATE #: 1001293336

CANDIDATE: SASHAY POTTINGER

CENTRE: WOLMERS’ GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL

TABLE OF CONTENS

Acknowledgement

Statement of the Problem

Reason for Selecting the Area of research

Method of Investigation

Instrument Used to Collect Data

Procedures Used to Collect Data

Presentation of Data

Analysis and Interpretation of Data

Presentation of Data

16

Recommendation and Implementation Strategy

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is in my great desire to thank those who made it possible for the completion of this assignment. First and foremost let me thank the students of the Wolmer’s Boy’s and Girls’ High school for their massive support and cooperation, also for finding time to answer the questionnaire given.

Members of my family have been a constant support of encouragement and support. I would like to thank my dear friend, Oshin Crawford, who has found precious time to give her assistance. I would also like to thank my Social Studies teacher, Ms. Lawrence, for giving a basis outline in what is to be done. Finally, I give thanks to god in giving me the strength and courage to press on, keeping me through the late nights and finding that determination within me through this exercise.

16

STATMENT OF THE PROBLEM

To what extent do students in the area, 2A Marescaux Road Kingston 10, ages 13-18 engage in the consumption of alcohol and what measures can be implemented to minimize the problem?

I. What are the factors that contribute to students, ages 13-18, to engage in the consumption of alcohol?

II. Did the behaviour of the students change, resulting from alcohol consumption?

III. What measures can be implemented to control the issue of students consuming alcohol?

16

REASON FOR SELECTING THE AREA OF RESEARCH

It is now evident that it has become the norm for under aged teenagers to be part takers in the consumption of alcohol. As a student of going to a prominent high school, I have heard of fellow school mates talk about the type of alcohol they have consumed, which has become a popular topic to speak about. I found this topic to be very interesting mainly because of the mere fact that under aged students are part taking in drinking alcohol, which should not be happening. In addition, students can be influenced to consume alcohol by diverse factors. The main factor is social events. When students attend parties, ‘dance’ or clubs, they tend to consume alcohol, even more than they should. Not only am I interested in finding the extent to which they consume alcohol, but the measures that could be executed to lessen the problem.

16

METHOD OF RESEARCH

In order to collect data, a printed questionnaire was used for the research. A questionnaire has a number of advantages.

It takes little or no time to be completed It guarantees total confidentiality of the respondents. It is not time consuming and it as the convenience of the

person required to fill it out.

The thirty (30) questionnaires consisted of fifteen (15) questions. The answers for the questions only required a tick or a short answer question. The questionnaires were carried out in complete confidentiality. Hence, respondents were not required to include any personal data such as their names and addresses.

16

DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT

QESTIONNAIRE

I am a Social Studies student, from Wolmer’s high school for girls, researching the extent to which high school students consume alcohol. This is being done for my Social Studies School Based Assessment. You are required to be completely honest and truthful. Since you are not required to write your names, no one will know who answered this particular questionnaire.

1. What is your age?

13-14 years

15-16 years

17-18 years

2. What is your family type?

Nuclear

Single Parent

Sibling

Extended

16

3. Do you part take in consuming alcohol?

Daily

Weekly

Occasionally

No I do not

4. Were you ever pressured to drink?

Never

Most times

Rarely

5. Why do you drink?

Peer Pressure group

For Leisure

Domestic problems

Other ___________________________________________________

6. Which type of alcohol do you consume?

Beer

Wine

Spirits (colour less alcoholic beverage)

16

7. Are your parents/guardians aware that you consume alcohol?

Yes, they do

No, they do not

8. Do your friends drink?

Some of my friends drink

None of my friends drink

All of my friends drink

9. When do you drink the most?

At parties

When facing domestic problems

Stressed

Other _______________________________________________________

16

1. Do you have emotional problems?Rarely

Most times

Never

2. Does alcohol consumption influence your behaviour?

Most times

Rarely

Never

3. Does alcohol affect your health?

Yes

No

Sometimes

4. What age did you begin to drink?

13-14 years

15-16 years

17-18 years

Do not drink

16

5. Have you ever tried to prevent yourself from drinking?

Most times

Rarely

Never

I do not drink

6. Are you willing to stop drinking alcoholic beverages?Yes I am willing

No I am not willing

Not sure

7. Which measure you think would be more effective in helping you or others to stop consume alcohol?

Seminars

Therapy

Avoid going to parties

Avoid peer pressure group

Other_______________________________________________________

16

PROCEDURE FOR COLLECTING DATA

It would have been quite impossible for me to get a response from every high school student, within the ages of 13-18, in Kingston where the research is done. Hence, two specific prominent high schools within the area were targeted. Both Wolmer’s Boys and Girls School approximately consists of about 1200, which only 15 students from each were necessary in order to ensure accurate conclusions.

I therefore decided to choose the students by randomly selecting students. The thirty selected students were provided with questionnaires, instances where the students, who were interested, could not fill out the questionnaires at the spur of the moment were allowed to return them the next day.

16

PRESENTATION OF DATA

16

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

According to the collected, it can be said that thirty percent (30%) of the students of Wolmer’s Girls and Boys mostly consume alcohol at the ages of 15-16. Whilst you have five of thirty students (17%) who does not drink alcohol.

Based on data collected, it can also de said that majority of students (50%) who began to consume alcohol, did so based on their own decision. Whilst, ten of the thirty students (33%) were pressured to drink by their peers.

One can also develop, from the data collected, that students mostly when attend social events such as parties and ‘dance’ etc.

Also, it was detected that forty three percentage (43%) of the times students consume alcohol, it affected their behaviour in a negative way, meaning they got drunk. Hence, loosing self control and consciousness.

Data collected have shown that six out of the thirty students (20%) actually want to change and are willing to stop consuming alcohol. At the same time, nineteen of the thirty students (63%) said they were not willing to stop consuming alcohol, despite the fact that it influences their behaviour negatively.

Apparently, for students who are willing to change, they prefer to avoid friends who pressure them to drink rather than avoid going parties. It was also observed that no student wanted a therapist and seventeen percent (17%) of the students who were willing to change, believed that other methods could have helped them to stop drinking alcohol.

16

PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS

Students, the ages of 15-16 part take in the consumption of alcohol the most.

Majority of the students, who consumes alcohol, did so base on their own decision.

Majority of students questioned were affect negatively by consumption of alcohol. In other words, the alcoholic beverage made them drunk, leaving them partially unconscious and some not having self control.

Many students are not willing to stop drinking, but the minority who do, do not believe that avoiding parties is the answer to stop consuming alcohol. They prefer to drop a friend that influences them to.

16

RECOMMENDATIONS

Parents should ensure that it becomes their number one responsibility to educate their child about the consequences of drinking. Parents should ensure that their child do not attend social events that encourages under aged children to part take in consuming alcoholic beverages.

Parents should limit the amount of parties their child attend. Also adults who promote these events should encourage under aged children to refrain from drinking alcohol or from consuming too much in order for it not to influence their behaviour.

Government should implement strict rules and penalities for promoters of social events who condone under aged children consuming alcoholic beverages. The government should ensure that these social events have strict security measures.