Conclusion
Despite the above limitations, the present findings have
implications for both prevention and future research.
Based on our findings, we speculate that with regard to
prevention, the results extend support for parental monitoring
and supervision during the high school years as a
strategy to reduce adolescent drinking. An interesting policy
debate exists around the degree to which parents
should be involved in monitoring their college student's
behavior related to alcohol consumption, since, legally
their children are adults. There is more, but not unanimous,
agreement pertaining to involving parents when
there is a life-threatening situation involving their child.
For example, not all universities have mandatory parental
notification policies in cases of alcohol poisoning. The
issue raised by the results of this study is whether it might
be useful to engage parents at an earlier stage – namely, in
prevention strategies to reduce underage drinking during
college. While the results of this study showed that parental
monitoring during the last year of high school was
associated with reduced levels of high school drinking,
and high school drinking levels in turn predicted college
drinking levels, it would be important to know whether
continued parental involvement in college had additional
benefits on reductions in college student drinking over
and above the effects of high school drinking levels. Evaluations
of programs that focus on modifying parenting
practices have shown promising results in reducing risk
among younger adolescents. Providing consistent discipline,
setting rules, monitoring adolescents' activities,
providing positive reinforcement, and communicating
with adolescents are all parenting tools that have proven
efficacious in reducing and delaying adolescent drinking
and risk-taking behaviors [25,26,31-33,52-54]. Two programs
that have been particularly effective in this regard
are Preparing for the Drug-Free Years and the Iowa
Strengthening Families Program, both of which focus on
competency training sessions for parents and include adolescents
in part of the trainings [55].
To our knowledge, few interventions have focused specifically
on parental engagement strategies to reduce college
drinking [28]. In their recent report "Wasting the Best and
the Brightest: Substance Abuse at America's Colleges and
Universities", the National Center for Addiction and Substance
Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) strongly
advocates for parental involvement as part of a comprehensive
strategy to reduce underage drinking on campus.
There are a variety of possible ways to involve parents in
prevention. First, at the very least, parents can communicate
with their college-age child about campus policies
related to underage drinking and illicit drug use. For this
to happen, campus officials must inform parents of these
policies, at orientation and on an ongoing basis during
the time their child is in college. CASA notes that close to
90% of colleges report that their policies are available for
inspection by parents, either through direct communication,
or through the college website [56].
Second, parents could be encouraged by colleges to
express disapproval of underage drinking while their child
attends college. Research shows that college students who
report that their parents have permissive attitudes about
underage drinking and substance use are more likely to
engage in these behaviors [57]. This is contrary to the
belief that college binge drinkers are the ones who were
prohibited drink in high school. In a blog on the Wall
Street Journal website that was focused on an article about
college parental notification guidelines of alcohol and
drug use, comments such as this were posted,
"The only reason for college binge drinking is prohibition.
Kids that binge drink in college are the same ones
that were raised by 'responsible' parents who did not
let their kids try a drop of alchohol (sic) at home.
Once kids get to college and away from parents' relatively
frequent control they go on a rampage. Binge
drinking can easily be resolved in late teenagehood by
educating kids how to drink, what it means to drink a
lot, and what hangover is [58]."
However, our study has shown that binge drinking in high
school predicts college binge drinking. In addition, the
CASA survey found that 70% of college students reported
that their parents' concerns or expectations either somewhat
or very much influenced whether or how much they
drank, smoked, or used other drugs, and that parental attitudes
were significantly related to the likelihood to binge
drink, use marijuana, and smoke tobacco.
ConclusionDespite the above limitations, the present findings haveimplications for both prevention and future research.Based on our findings, we speculate that with regard toprevention, the results extend support for parental monitoringand supervision during the high school years as astrategy to reduce adolescent drinking. An interesting policydebate exists around the degree to which parentsshould be involved in monitoring their college student'sbehavior related to alcohol consumption, since, legallytheir children are adults. There is more, but not unanimous,agreement pertaining to involving parents whenthere is a life-threatening situation involving their child.For example, not all universities have mandatory parentalnotification policies in cases of alcohol poisoning. Theissue raised by the results of this study is whether it mightbe useful to engage parents at an earlier stage – namely, inprevention strategies to reduce underage drinking duringcollege. While the results of this study showed that parentalmonitoring during the last year of high school wasassociated with reduced levels of high school drinking,and high school drinking levels in turn predicted collegedrinking levels, it would be important to know whethercontinued parental involvement in college had additionalbenefits on reductions in college student drinking overand above the effects of high school drinking levels. Evaluationsof programs that focus on modifying parentingpractices have shown promising results in reducing riskamong younger adolescents. Providing consistent discipline,setting rules, monitoring adolescents' activities,providing positive reinforcement, and communicatingwith adolescents are all parenting tools that have provenefficacious in reducing and delaying adolescent drinkingand risk-taking behaviors [25,26,31-33,52-54]. Two programsthat have been particularly effective in this regardare Preparing for the Drug-Free Years and the IowaStrengthening Families Program, both of which focus oncompetency training sessions for parents and include adolescentsin part of the trainings [55].To our knowledge, few interventions have focused specificallyon parental engagement strategies to reduce collegedrinking [28]. In their recent report "Wasting the Best andthe Brightest: Substance Abuse at America's Colleges andUniversities", the National Center for Addiction and SubstanceAbuse at Columbia University (CASA) stronglyadvocates for parental involvement as part of a comprehensivestrategy to reduce underage drinking on campus.There are a variety of possible ways to involve parents inprevention. First, at the very least, parents can communicatewith their college-age child about campus policiesrelated to underage drinking and illicit drug use. For thisto happen, campus officials must inform parents of thesepolicies, at orientation and on an ongoing basis duringthe time their child is in college. CASA notes that close to90% of colleges report that their policies are available forinspection by parents, either through direct communication,or through the college website [56].Second, parents could be encouraged by colleges toexpress disapproval of underage drinking while their childattends college. Research shows that college students whoreport that their parents have permissive attitudes aboutunderage drinking and substance use are more likely toengage in these behaviors [57]. This is contrary to thebelief that college binge drinkers are the ones who wereprohibited drink in high school. In a blog on the WallStreet Journal website that was focused on an article aboutcollege parental notification guidelines of alcohol anddrug use, comments such as this were posted,"The only reason for college binge drinking is prohibition.Kids that binge drink in college are the same onesthat were raised by 'responsible' parents who did notlet their kids try a drop of alchohol (sic) at home.Once kids get to college and away from parents' relativelyfrequent control they go on a rampage. Bingedrinking can easily be resolved in late teenagehood byeducating kids how to drink, what it means to drink alot, and what hangover is [58]."However, our study has shown that binge drinking in highschool predicts college binge drinking. In addition, theCASA survey found that 70% of college students reportedthat their parents' concerns or expectations either somewhator very much influenced whether or how much theydrank, smoked, or used other drugs, and that parental attitudeswere significantly related to the likelihood to bingedrink, use marijuana, and smoke tobacco.
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