Adolescent alcohol use The role of parents and schools Mark McCann, Kathryn Higgins, Oliver Perra, Aisling McLaughlin, Claire McCartan Institute of Child Care Research Queens University Belfast

The research context Alcohol misuse is a major contributor to societal problems Addressing these is a social responsibility Public should decide how to intervene

Unintended consequences of intervening Ineffective interventions Waste of time, money, resources, and potentially; Parent focused interventions Back seat parenting / egg sucking lessons Individual focused interventions Reality testing, conceptualising risk School focused interventions Reinforcing social disconnections

A social theory for intervention The social environment: Provides or prevents exposure to novel behaviours Positively or negatively reinforces individual behaviour

Across adolescence The influence of parents on a childs behaviour wanes Outside-home influences (school and peers) become more important But, to what extent do children exert influence on their environment?

Stage 1: Family environment Does parental monitoring reduce alcohol use? Or perhaps adolescent alcohol use affects levels of parental monitoring? What aspects of monitoring are most important?

Stage 2: School environment What difference does choice of school make on drinking rates? How does school environment affect adolescent drinking?

The Belfast Youth Development Study Around 5,000 young people 43 mainstream schools, three towns Also some alternative education provision 5 sweeps of annual data collection during compulsory education (age 11 – 15) Two more sweeps at age 17 and age 21

Study variables Alcohol use Doesnt drink / rarely / monthly / weekly or more Parental Monitoring Stattin & Kerrs monitoring measures Other factors Gender, Mental Health, Living arrangements, Affluence, parental attachment

What is parental monitoring? Knowledge of your childrens activities What have you been doing? Tell me and you can go out Oh, tell me more

Alcohol Year 1 Alcohol Year 2 Alcohol Year 3 Alcohol Year 4 Alcohol Year 5 Monitoring Year 1 Monitoring Year 2 Monitoring Year 3 Monitoring Year 4 Monitoring Year Drinkers continue to drink If you drank a lot at age 11 then youre much more likely to drink frequently at age 12 The effect is stronger at older ages, but less marked at younger ages

34% 36%32% 29% Alcohol Year 1 Alcohol Year 2 Alcohol Year 3 Alcohol Year 4 Alcohol Year 5 Monitoring Year 1 Monitoring Year 2 Monitoring Year 3 Monitoring Year 4 Monitoring Year 5 Monitoring reduces drinking If you were monitored heavily at age 11 you're less likely to drink frequently at age 12 The effect is reasonably stable at all ages

Alcohol Year 1 Alcohol Year 2 Alcohol Year 3 Alcohol Year 4 Alcohol Year 5 Monitoring Year 1 Monitoring Year 2 Monitoring Year 3 Monitoring Year 4 Monitoring Year 5 Parental monitoring is consistent If you were monitored heavily at age 11 then youre much more likely to be monitored at age 12 The effect is reasonably stable at all ages

Alcohol Year 1 Alcohol Year 2 Alcohol Year 3 Alcohol Year 4 Alcohol Year 5 Monitoring Year 1 Monitoring Year 2 Monitoring Year 3 Monitoring Year 4 Monitoring Year 5 Drinking reduces monitoring If you drank a lot at age 11 then youre less likely to be monitored at age 12 The effect is stronger at younger ages, and almost disappears at older ages

Stage 1: Parental monitoring Greater monitoring of younger childrens behaviour tends to reduce the frequency with which they drink alcohol The effect is stable across time, from age 11 to age 16

Stage 1: Alcohol use Drinking at an early age reduces levels of parental monitoring But late adolescent drinking doesnt affect parent-child dynamic to the same extent

Stage 1: Where to intervene Interrupting drinking trajectories Prevent or delay drinking in early adolescence At older ages, preventive approaches may be Ineffective for drinkers Redundant for non-drinkers

Aspects of monitoring What have you been doing? No influence Tell me and you can go out More important Oh, tell me more Most important

Intervening in the family Parental monitoring is a potential target But…..

Relationships & behaviour Parental attachment Monitoring Parental attachment Monitoring Alcohol use

Relationships & behaviour Parental Control Parental attachment Child disclosure Parental Control Child disclosure Parental attachment Alcohol use

Stage 1: Where to intervene Parent interventions Facilitate high levels of monitoring Encourage positive emotional support Encourage parent-led (rather than relationship-led) moves towards autonomy and independence …………Before its too late?

Stage 2: School environment What difference does choice of school make on drinking rates? How does school environment affect adolescent drinking?

School characteristics What is the effect of: The proportion of frequent drinkers in the school? The average level of parental monitoring? Other characteristics of the school?

School characteristics BoysGirls Boys School50% Girls school52% Co-Ed42%

School characteristics Does the effect of monitoring vary between schools? Does the effect of parental attachment vary between schools? Does the effect of gender vary between schools? Does the effect of deprivation vary between schools?

School characteristics Pupils in single gender schools drink more frequently School ethos also likely to be important Little evidence that home and school life interact to affect alcohol use

Conclusions Family has a strong influences Evidence suggests: enhance monitoring well in advance of a childs opportunity to drink Schools are important Evidence suggests: school environment and ethos influence drinking (rather than being in with a drinking crowd)

Careful now… Parent attachment paradox Inverse association between good relationships, and parental monitoring Schools are not just groups of pupils Ethos and environmental factors

Future research & practice See first that the design is wise and just; that ascertained, pursue it resolutely - Shakespeare Develop a theory Assess local evidence Build an intervention to suit

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