Using data from Add Health, researchers Donaldson, Handren and Crano examined the relationship between teens and their parents and parental effect on teenage drinking. Teens with parents who were more supportive and monitored their children were less likely to binge drink. Parental protection from teenage binge drinking may also protect against future criminal behavior, as binge drinking was shown to be predictive of future arrests.
NPR Excerpt:
The study suggests that parents do make a difference. “Parental monitoring and warmth are a protective device against kids’ binge drinking,” says Crano. But the two need to go hand in hand. “If you have surveillance without warmth, you’ve got a problem,” he adds. “You want the relationship between a parent and a child to be close enough and warm enough that the child discloses behaviors and what they are thinking, and the parent can offer advice” that reinforces rules but doesn’t disparage the child.
Read the full story on NPR.
Scholarly Source: Donaldson CD, Handren LM, Crano WD. The Enduring Impact of Parents’ Monitoring, Warmth, Expectancies, and Alcohol Use on Their Children’s Future Binge Drinking and Arrests: a Longitudinal Analysis. Prev Sci (2016) 17:606. doi:10.1007/s11121-016-0656-1. Article available online.