Board-Certified Criminal Defense Representation In Central Florida

The connection between criminal charges and Spring Break

by | Mar 10, 2016 | Sex Offenses |

Students all across the world flock to Florida during Spring Break. They want to get away, relax, enjoy the warm weather and take their minds off the pressures of school. However, it is not unusual for young people to take some risks and make some bad decisions while they are on Spring Break, thanks to a number of factors.

To begin with, alcohol consumption and Spring Break often go hand-in-hand for young students. As noted in this article by The Exponent, binge drinking increases this time. This behavior can lead to conditions like blackouts and impaired decision-making, which can drastically affect a person’s ability to consent to sexual conduct or remember certain details about such altercations.

Spring Break is also a time when students take risks they might not otherwise take when they are under the supervision of their school, parents, coaches or other authority figures. They may engage in risky sexual behaviors, try things they’ve never tried before or participate in illegal activities. 

To add on to this, because many students travel to other states or countries for Spring Break, they may not be fully aware of the laws with which they must comply. The fact that their inhibitions may be lowered and their awareness of consequences may not be as finely tuned as it normally is can only make it more likely that a young person breaks the law, knowingly or not.

Once the vacation is over, it is not unusual for one of two things to happen. In some cases, regret and/or fear of the consequences can set in and a student can be encouraged to accuse someone else of criminal misconduct out of self-preservation. Additionally, a student can return home to face the consequences of a criminal offense because of some bad decisions.

In either case, what happens on Spring Break certainly will not stay there. Dealing with these situations by speaking with an attorney as quickly as possible can be crucial, particularly if they involve allegations of sexual assault or misconduct.