Although college men have typically reported significantly more alcohol
problems than women, debate about a possible convergence of gender differences
has emerged in recent years. Time trend
data on gender differences based on consistent measures of alcohol-related
problems are scant, however. Another
limitation of previous research has been the predominant focus on alcohol
problems most common among men. This
article provides data on gender differences and trends in several types of
negative consequences of student drinking in a collegiate population from four
surveys conducted between 1979 and 1989.
The data do not support an overall “convergence hypothesis” as men
remained much more problematic in several types of consequences – specifically
abuse problems that are public, involve legal repercussions, or that endanger
others. Consequences that are more
personal or less prone to provoke public response reveal little or no gender
differences, however, in the most recent collegiate cohorts. Thus, more gender research is needed on types
of alcohol problems in the campus context.
(J. Stud. Alcohol 53: 458-462, 1992)