Alcohol-related legal infractions and student retention.
OBJECTIVE
The present study employed municipal alcohol-related arrest reports to determine if being arrested/cited reduced the probability of academic retention.


METHODS
Alcohol-related legal infraction data implicating 1,310 college students was gathered during a 4-year period. First- through third-year students were identified in the database by cross-checking names in the campus directory. A random sample of nonarrested students functioned as the comparison group (n = 856). Students not appearing in the directory the following year were defined as nonretained students.


RESULTS
Retention was not affected by the experience of one alcohol-related legal infraction. Retention odds were 31% lower for students experiencing multiple arrests, however, than for nonarrested or single-arrested students. Gender moderated the association between arrest and retention, with women who had been arrested more likely to return to school than those who had not been arrested. Retention odds were higher for arrested/cited students if they were in their second or third year of college, a fraternity/sorority member, or charged with an offense other than driving under the influence.


CONCLUSIONS
Multi-arrested college students are at risk for attrition. Immersion in college life may reduce the odds of attrition among arrested college students.
Thompson
Kevin M
KM
Department of Criminal Justice and Political Science, North Dakota State University, 1616 12th Avenue North, Fargo, North Dakota 58105,USA. kevin.thompson@ndsu.edu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003415:Crime / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009658:North Dakota; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012008:Recurrence; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data