Tamara Herold
Professor of Criminal Justice, University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV)
Key Findings
- Most students who attend gatherings that result in riots are not destructive.
- Only 5% of students that attend large gatherings reported their main reason for attending is to get drunk.
- One percent of students reported destroying property and only 1.4% reported confrontation with the police.
- Police officers take as many preparations before gatherings turn into riots to handle the situation like controlling parking and removing objects that can be turned into weapons.
Description
In the article, “Student Party Riots,” Herold and her co-author summarize research on? student party riots to help police officers understand and respond to such riots. The authors describe student party riots as rowdy student group behavior around an event or gathering, which can lead to vandalism, drunken driving, disorderly conduct in public places, and more. Most students who attend gatherings that result in riots are not destructive. Only 5% of students that attend large gatherings reported their main reason for attending is to get drunk. A survey of students that attended a gathering turned riot at the University of Cincinnati showed only 1% of students reported destroying property and only 1.4% reported confrontation with the police, which is accurate to photos and eyewitness accounts. The authors note large quantities of alcohol consumption can initiate or worsen disorderly conduct. The authors suggest that police officers take as many preparations before gatherings turn into riots to handle the situation like controlling parking and removing objects that can be turned into weapons.