PowerPoint Presentation

Adolescent alcohol useThe role of parents and schoolsMark McCann, Kathryn Higgins, Oliver Perra, Aisling McLaughlin, Claire McCartanInstitute of Child Care ResearchQueens University Belfast

The research context

Alcohol misuse is a major contributor to societal problemsAddressing these is a social responsibilityPublic should decide how to intervene Unintended consequences of intervening

Ineffective interventions Waste of time, money, resources, and potentially;Parent focused interventionsBack seat parenting / egg sucking lessonsIndividual focused interventionsReality testing, conceptualising riskSchool focused interventionsReinforcing social disconnections

A social theory for intervention

The social environment:Provides or prevents exposure to novel behaviours

Positively or negatively reinforces individual behaviourAcross adolescence

The influence of parents on a childs behaviour wanesOutside-home influences (school and peers) become more importantBut, 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 people43 mainstream schools, three towns Also some alternative education provision5 sweeps of annual data collection during compulsory education (age 11 15)Two more sweeps at age 17 and age 21Study variables

Alcohol use Doesnt drink / rarely / monthly / weekly or moreParental MonitoringStattin & Kerrs monitoring measuresOther factorsGender, 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 1Alcohol Year 2Alcohol Year 3Alcohol Year 4Alcohol Year 5MonitoringYear 1MonitoringYear 2MonitoringYear 3MonitoringYear 4MonitoringYear 54.573.182.912.87Drinkers continue to drink

If you drank a lot at age 11then youre much more likely to drink frequently at age 12

The effect is stronger at older ages, but less marked at younger ages34%36%32%29%Alcohol Year 1Alcohol Year 2Alcohol Year 3Alcohol Year 4Alcohol Year 5MonitoringYear 1MonitoringYear 2MonitoringYear 3MonitoringYear 4MonitoringYear 5Monitoring reduces drinking

If you were monitored heavily at age 11you're less likely to drink frequently at age 12

The effect is reasonably stable at all ages0.560.550.510.43Alcohol Year 1Alcohol Year 2Alcohol Year 3Alcohol Year 4Alcohol Year 5MonitoringYear 1MonitoringYear 2MonitoringYear 3MonitoringYear 4MonitoringYear 5Parental monitoring is consistent

If you were monitored heavily at age 11then youre much more likely to be monitored at age 12

The effect is reasonably stable at all ages-0.05-0.07-0.11-0.15Alcohol Year 1Alcohol Year 2Alcohol Year 3Alcohol Year 4Alcohol Year 5MonitoringYear 1MonitoringYear 2MonitoringYear 3MonitoringYear 4MonitoringYear 5Drinking reduces monitoring

If you drank a lot at age 11then youre less likely to be monitored at age 12

The effect is stronger at younger ages, and almost disappears at older agesStage 1: Parental monitoring

Greater monitoring of younger childrens behaviour tends to reduce the frequency with which they drink alcoholThe effect is stable across time, from age 11 to age 16

Stage 1: Alcohol use

Drinking at an early age reduces levels of parental monitoringBut late adolescent drinking doesnt affect parent-child dynamic to the same extent

Stage 1: Where to intervene

Interrupting drinking trajectoriesPrevent or delay drinking in early adolescenceAt older ages, preventive approaches may beIneffective for drinkersRedundant for non-drinkers

Aspects of monitoring

What have you been doing? No influenceTell me and you can go out More importantOh, tell me more Most important

Intervening in the family

Parental monitoring is a potential target

But..

Relationships & behaviour

Parental attachmentMonitoringParental attachmentMonitoringAlcohol useRelationships & behaviour

Parental ControlParental attachmentChild disclosureParental ControlChild disclosureParental attachmentAlcohol useStage 1: Where to intervene

Parent interventionsFacilitate high levels of monitoringEncourage positive emotional supportEncourage parent-led (rather than relationship-led) moves towards autonomy and independenceBefore 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

BoysGirlsBoys School50%Girls school52%Co-Ed42%42%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 frequentlySchool ethos also likely to be importantLittle evidence that home and school life interact to affect alcohol useConclusions

Family has a strong influencesEvidence suggests: enhance monitoring well in advance of a childs opportunity to drinkSchools are importantEvidence suggests: school environment and ethos influence drinking (rather than being in with a drinking crowd)

Careful now

Parent attachment paradoxInverse association between good relationships, and parental monitoringSchools are not just groups of pupilsEthos and environmental factors

Future research & practice

See first that the design is wise and just; that ascertained, pursue it resolutely - ShakespeareDevelop a theoryAssess local evidence Build an intervention to suit

Thank you for listening

Email: Mark.McCann@qub.ac.uk

Facebook: Mark.McCann.18Twitter: @Mark_ICCR