The Post

Drs. Craig Rivera and Timothy Lauger, faculty members in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, recently published an article on the protective effects of engaging in religious practices among college students. The study, published in Pastoral Psychology, relies on data from the National Study of Youth and Religion, a nationally representative study of adolescents and young adults. They found that regular Scripture reading, belonging to a religious group such as a Bible study or prayer group, and attending religious services each significantly reduce the odds of binge drinking among college students. They also found that it is not simply that more religious students are more likely to engage in these religious practices, and are also less likely to binge drink — although this is true, the analyses reveal that these activities each have an impact on binge drinking independent of a student’s religiousness. This has several practical implications, including directing more resources to Campus Ministry offices as allies in promoting healthy behavior and creating programs for students across the religiousness spectrum, such as those designed for “seekers” or “skeptics.” The full article can be accessed at the following link: https://rdcu.be/chAac