Third, colleges could encourage parents to play an important
role in recognizing early warning signs of alcohol
abuse and intervening by facilitating access to services. If
parental notification policies were in place when a student
receives a citation from residence life for underage drinking,
then parents could encourage their student to
undergo a comprehensive assessment, which includes
exploration of underlying mental health issues. The 1998
amendments to Part E, Section 952 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (PL 105–244) allow institutions of
higher education to notify parents of students who are
under the age of 21 when the student has committed a
school disciplinary violation involving alcohol or a controlled
substance. The United States Department of Education
clarified the ruling in 2000 by stating that "school
officials may notify parents whenever they determine that
a disciplinary violation has occurred, and that those determinations
can be made without conducting a formal disciplinary
preceding or hearing [59]." The point to be made
is that the parental notification does not necessarily imply
a punitive action; rather the policy can serve a critical purpose
to guide the student toward services that may be necessary
to avert further problems downstream [60].
Although many students may be physically separated
from their parents once they begin college, future studies
are needed to investigate whether or not certain parental
practices with college-age children (e.g., frequent appropriate
communication, parental support and encouragement,
and monitoring of peer group activities) might be
helpful in reducing the risk of problematic alcohol consumption.
In the 2002 landmark report "A Call to Action:
Changing the culture of drinking at US colleges," several
potential strategies for reducing excessive drinking, such
as social marketing campaigns and environmental strategies
were described. Evaluation research should continue
to understand the extent to which these types of prevention
strategies are effective. This report offered scant information
about the protective role of parents except to say
that parents should be aware of campus policies on alcohol
and illicit drugs [61]. Arguably, traditional forms of
parent-child interaction such as parent monitoring and
supervision will naturally decrease as adolescents get
older and leave home for college. An important aim for
future research should be to define the characteristics of
an appropriate parent-child relationship that is associated
with low risk for the development of alcohol and other
drug problems. Defining this balance between parental
guidance and youth autonomy is challenging since too
much monitoring in the college years might cause strain
in the parent-student relationship and increase the risk for
negative outcomes. Research in this area will depend on
the development of instruments that can measure changes
in the parent-child relationship during the transition from
older adolescence through young adulthood.
In summary, the transition to college marks a high-risk
period for escalation of alcohol consumption. Parents and
prevention practitioners can benefit from evidence that
points to specific parenting practices that might help
reduce the risk for heavy drinking, while at the same time
allow for appropriate levels of autonomy that are critical
for young adult development. Colleges should invest in
initiatives that involve parents as partners in communicating
the message to students about the risks of heavy drinking
and promote appropriate levels of parental
monitoring through the college years.