NCJ Number
188395
Date Published
2000
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This overview of the role of parents in preventing and addressing underage drinking discusses parenting skills, social influences, family structures, and parental attitudes and behaviors toward drinking.
Abstract
Parents who communicated and were involved with their children, set clear expectations for their children's behavior, practiced good supervision and consistent discipline, and minimized conflict in the family had children who, at ages 11 and 12, were more likely to view alcohol as harmful and less likely to initiate alcohol use early. They were also less likely to misuse alcohol at ages 17 and 18. On the other hand, lack of parental support, monitoring, and communication and lack of feeling close to their parents have been significantly related to frequency of drinking, heavy drinking, and drunkenness among adolescents. Harsh, inconsistent discipline and hostility or rejection toward children have also been found to be significant predictors of adolescent drinking and alcohol-related problems. Family and peers can influence drinking behavior by explicitly discouraging alcohol use or by providing models of drinking behavior. Children of drinking parents have been found to be less likely to view drinking as harmful and more likely to start drinking earlier. Children of drinking parents are more likely to associate with peers who have tried alcohol at ages 10 to 11, which increases the risk for alcohol use and misuse by the child. 19 notes