Changes in Parental Attitude towards Adolescent Alcohol Consumption as a Consequence of Adolescent Alcohol Consumption

Abstract

This longitudinal study extends our knowledge of the influence of adolescent alcohol consumption on parental attitude towards adolescent alcohol consumption. Furthermore, it examines the possible influence of parental alcohol consumption on the relation between adolescent alcohol consumption and parental attitude towards it.

Data used for this study were originally collected in the program Prevention of Alcohol use in Students, following for 4 year a representative sample of Dutch adolescents. For this study the data of 709 pairs of parents and adolescents (average age at T1= 12.1, SD=0.49, N boys=352, N girls=357) was used. Using linear regression analysis, the relationship between adolescent alcohol consumption, parental attitude towards adolescent alcohol consumption and parental alcohol consumption was measured.

Adolescent alcohol consumption accelerates the easing of parental attitude towards adolescent alcohol consumption at all three measurements (β=-.119, p<.001; β=-.067, p=.016; β=-.054, p=.042). Alcohol consumption of parents doesn’t have any influence on the speed of change of parental attitude (β=-.020, p=.513; β=.022, p=.435; β=-.007, p=.799).

It is concluded that, although the parents formulate their attitude towards adolescent alcohol consumption, the attitude is influenced by the behavior of the adolescents. This signifies the importance of child effect in child parent relationship and shows how important it is to postpone the start of adolescent alcohol consumption.