While the social norms approach is best known for its effectiveness in reducing heavy episodic alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm among college students, it has also been used effectively in interventions targeting tobacco use, DUI prevention, seat-belt use, and tax compliance. Interestingly, effective interventions have not been limited to colleges and universities, but have also been reported in high school and community-wide settings as well.

New areas of interest in the application of the social norms approach are also emerging, such as sexual assault prevention, the improvement of academic performance, and delaying sexual debut among students.

The studies at the institutions listed here were selected for their innovative use of the normative approach and their proven effectiveness in reducing high risk behaviors. You can find more information about these various applications and read selected case studies of effective interventions by using the navigation bar in the left-hand margin of this page.

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