NCJ Number
212380
Date Published
2005
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This is a video of a forum with an audience of parents and teens interacting with a panel through a moderator in discussing issues related to underage drinking.
Abstract
The moderator first guides the forum in a discussion of the prevalence of underage drinking, comparing the estimates and perceptions of the audience with data from surveys. Audience estimates are slightly higher than figures from national surveys, suggesting that the audience of teens and parents views underage drinking as a significant problem. The discussion then turns to the impact of the entertainment media on underage drinking and audience opinions about why it has become such a problem. The teens in the audience mention peer pressure and the widespread view that socializing and drinking are necessarily linked. The nature of binge drinking and its prevalence are discussed as well. The effects of alcoholic beverage consumption on children and youth are then discussed, with input from a medical doctor, a juvenile court judge, a police officer, and audience members. Issues discussed are alcohol poisoning, drunk driving, assaultive behavior, and sexual assaults. The audience and the panel agree that parents exert the strongest influence on their children in preventing underage drinking. An extensive discussion of the kinds of conversations parents and children should have on the subject are discussed. All agree that parents should not lecture their children on the issue, but rather engage in informative conversations about the dangers of drinking in terms of health, safety, and violation of age-related drinking laws. Input from the police officer and juvenile court judge provide information on how the justice system deals with underage drinking.