PARENTAL AND PEER INFLUENCES AS CORRELATES OF PROBLEM DRINKING AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

The relative importance of parental, peer, and demographic variables in predicting problem drinking among young people was investigated via a survey of 1439 students in two high schools in Ontario, Canada. A multiple classification analysis was employed to identify variables with a significant and unique predictive power. Eighty-six percent of the students said that they drank alcoholic beverages; of these, 21.3% drank as often as once a week, and only 2.2% drank every day. It was found that problem drinking is best predicted with situational factors and those directly related to drinking. Parental and peer variables had little unique predictive power. Problem drinkers were more often male, had their first drinks away from home, and usually drank in cars. These findings suggest that a factor of social isolation or alienation is an important element in alcohol abuse. The results suggest that merely increasing knowledge about alcohol is not sufficient and that more effective approaches, even family therapy, are necessary to prevent high-risk adolescents from becoming problem drinkers.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0020773X
• Corporate Authors:

  Marcel Dekker, Incorporated

  270 Madison Avenue
  New York, NY  United States  10016
• Authors:
  • Smart, R G
  • Gray, G
• Publication Date: 1979

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 905-917
• Serial:
  • INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE ADDICTIONS
  • Volume: 14
  • Issue Number: 7
  • Publisher: Marcel Dekker, Incorporated
  • ISSN: 0020-773X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adolescents; Alcohol abuse; Social factors
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00392296
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-028 908
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Feb 28 1985 12:00AM