17 Jun 2011

Child drinkers influenced by parents’ behaviour

Children who see their parents drunk are twice as likely to binge on alcohol, a report finds. Researchers tell Channel 4 News the advice for adults introducing alcohol to children can be confusing.

Child drinkers influenced by parents' behaviour

Researchers from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that along with parent behaviour influencing children’s drinking habits, youths left unsupervised are also more likely to take to alcohol.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation report questioned 5,700 teenagers in England, and found one in four 13-14-year-olds have been drunk more than once, compared to just over half of children (52 per cent) who are 15-16.

Those who said they had seen their parents inebriated were twice as likely to have been drunk several times.

And the odds of a teenager having ever had an alcoholic drink are also greater if their parents do not know where they are on a Saturday night, or if they are allowed to watch 18-rated films unsupervised.

The survey found the influence of friends is the most significant factor in childhood drinking, as the likelihood of youths drinking to excess more than doubles if they spend more than two nights a week socialising.

Spending every night with friends multiplies the odds of drinking heavily more than four times.

Changing behaviour

The report concluded that schools are crucial to distributing information about alcohol and supporting parents.

“Both what parents say and how they behave have a strong impact on their teenagers drinking, drinking regularly, and drinking to excess,” Claire Turner, from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said.

The report found that “efforts to improve drinking behaviour among young people at a national policy level are best directed at supporting and educating parents.

“This should include positive messages for parents about how they can influence their child’s behaviour and stress the importance of parents’ own drinking and what their children see and think about this.

“Friends are another key area of influence. Schools could help here by challenging incorrect perceptions about the regularity and scale of heavy drinking by peer groups.

“Schools could also be a channel for information, getting targeted messages to parents encouraging actions at specific times in their child’s development.”

Child drinkers influenced by parents' behaviour

‘Conflicting advice for parents’

Researchers found conflicting messages about the ideal age and ways to introduce young people to alcohol.

Claire Turner, Programme Manager from The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, told Channel 4 News that although the messages were mixed, parents should be aware how much they influence their children.

“It is a confusing area for parents,” she said. “Research suggests it is not a good idea [to introduce alcohol] to those who are very young as these children as most likely to drink to excess.

“However it is not a consistent picture across all the young people. Some people introduced to alcohol much later also drink to excess – but their first introduction is likely to be unsupervised with their friends.”

Ms Turner said that from a significantly young age children are learning about alcohol from their parents.

“One of the key findings of previous research looking at primary school children was the sophisticated understanding of alcohol, even at a very early age. They knew about alcohol and its effects, what their parents drinking preference was, and they could describe being drunk and it was pretty much entirely though adult relationships.”

Ms Turner said that this understanding of children’s learning could be used constructively.

“We think this is potentially very positive – parental influence starts young and does continue into the teenage years.

“Parents should be thinking as much about what they do themselves, as about what they say to their children.”

Your Facebook views - young people and alcohol

Saadia Siddiqui: "I knew someone who told their kids about alcohol and then said to their children, 'You drinking or not drinking is about your body and your health. We'll be sad if something happens to you but don't do it for us do it for yourself.'

"They never drank in front of the children as it was a grown up thing (people don't have sex in front of children) or got drunk. And their kids turned out fine. I know this won't work for everyone but it seemed to do the trick for them."

James Van Miert said: "I think young people need to recognise alcohol for what it is... an incredibly powerful and dangerous drug."

Maria Lam Wood said: "Will it be a bit much if I suggest to 'ban' mentioning about the fun of drinking on TV before 9pm?"

Caroline Saunders said: "They drink enough on corrie and other soaps - I don't drink but my children see it portrayed as normal.

"I have let my 17 year old have shandy and cider recently, I think that is better then getting completely drunk on her birthday and not knowing how to handle it."

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