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?

CANDIDATE #: 1001293336
CANDIDATE: SASHAY POTTINGER
CENTRE: WOLMERS GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL
16

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

Recommendation and Implementation Strategy

16

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
Wolmers Boys 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.

II.

III.

What are the factors that contribute to students, ages 13-18, to

engage in the consumption of alcohol?
Did the behaviour of the students change, resulting from alcohol
consumption?
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
16

confidentiality. Hence, respondents were not

required to include any personal data such as their
names and addresses.

DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT

QESTIONNAIRE
I am a Social Studies student, from Wolmers 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
16

2. What is your family type?

Nuclear
Single Parent
Sibling
Extended

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 ___________________________________________________
16

6. Which type of alcohol do you consume?

Beer
Wine
Spirits (colour less alcoholic beverage)
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
Wolmers 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 Wolmers 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

16

change, believed that other methods could have helped them to

stop drinking alcohol.

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.

16