Adolescent alcohol use The role of parents and schools

1. Adolescent alcohol useThe role of parents and schools Mark McCann, Kathryn Higgins, Oliver Perra, Aisling McLaughlin, Claire McCartan Institute of Child Care Research Queen’s University Belfast

6. The research context Alcohol misuse is a major contributor to societal problems Addressing these is a social responsibility Public should decide how to intervene

7. Ineffective interventions Waste of time, money, resources, and potentially; Parent focused interventions Back seat parenting / egg sucking lessons Individual focused interventions Reality testing, conceptualising risk School focused interventions Reinforcing social disconnections Unintended consequences of intervening

8. A social theory for intervention The social environment: Provides or prevents exposure to novel behaviours Positively or negatively reinforces individual behaviour

9. Across adolescence The influence of parents on a child’s behaviour wanes Outside-home influences (school and peers) become more important But, to what extent do children exert influence on their environment?

10. 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?

11. Stage 2: School environment What difference does choice of school make on drinking rates? How does school environment affect adolescent drinking?

12. Around 5,000 young people 43 mainstream schools, three towns Also some alternative education provision 5 sweeps of annual data collection during compulsory education (age 11 – 15) Two more sweeps at age 17 and age 21 The Belfast Youth Development Study

13. Alcohol use Doesn’t drink / rarely / monthly / weekly or more Parental Monitoring Stattin & Kerr’s monitoring measures Other factors Gender, Mental Health, Living arrangements, Affluence, parental attachment Study variables

14. What is parental monitoring? Knowledge of your children’s activities “What have you been doing?” “Tell me and you can go out” “Oh, tell me more”

15. Drinkers continue to drink If you drank a lot at age 11 then you’re much more likely to drink frequently at age 12 The effect is stronger at older ages, but less marked at younger ages 2.87 4.57 2.91 3.18 Alcohol Year 5 Alcohol Year 4 Alcohol Year 1 Alcohol Year 2 Alcohol Year 3 Monitoring Year 1 Monitoring Year 2 Monitoring Year 3 Monitoring Year 5 Monitoring Year 4

16. Monitoring reduces drinking If you were monitored heavily at age 11 you're less likely to drink frequently at age 12 The effect is reasonably stable at all ages Alcohol Year 5 Alcohol Year 4 Alcohol Year 1 Alcohol Year 2 Alcohol Year 3 29% 34% 32% 36% Monitoring Year 1 Monitoring Year 2 Monitoring Year 3 Monitoring Year 5 Monitoring Year 4

17. Parental monitoring is consistent If you were monitored heavily at age 11 then you’re much more likely to be monitored at age 12 The effect is reasonably stable at all ages Alcohol Year 5 Alcohol Year 4 Alcohol Year 1 Alcohol Year 2 Alcohol Year 3 Monitoring Year 1 Monitoring Year 2 Monitoring Year 3 Monitoring Year 5 Monitoring Year 4 0.43 0.51 0.55 0.56

18. Drinking reduces monitoring If you drank a lot at age 11 then you’re less likely to be monitored at age 12 The effect is stronger at younger ages, and almost disappears at older ages Alcohol Year 5 Alcohol Year 4 Alcohol Year 1 Alcohol Year 2 Alcohol Year 3 -0.15 -0.11 -0.07 -0.05 Monitoring Year 1 Monitoring Year 2 Monitoring Year 3 Monitoring Year 5 Monitoring Year 4

19. Stage 1: Parental monitoring Greater monitoring of younger children’s behaviour tends to reduce the frequency with which they drink alcohol The effect is stable across time, from age 11 to age 16

20. Stage 1: Alcohol use Drinking at an early age reduces levels of parental monitoring But late adolescent drinking doesn’t affect parent-child dynamic to the same extent

21. Stage 1: Where to intervene Interrupting drinking trajectories Prevent or delay drinking in early adolescence At older ages, preventive approaches may be Ineffective for drinkers Redundant for non-drinkers

22. Aspects of monitoring “What have you been doing?” No influence “Tell me and you can go out” More important “Oh, tell me more” Most important

23. Intervening in the family Parental monitoring is a potential target But…..

24. Parental attachment Relationships & behaviour Parental attachment Alcohol use Monitoring Monitoring

25. Parental attachment Parental attachment Relationships & behaviour Alcohol use Child disclosure Child disclosure Parental Control Parental Control

26. Stage 1: Where to intervene Parent interventions Facilitate high levels of monitoring Encourage positive emotional support Encourage parent-led (rather than relationship-led) moves towards autonomy and independence …………Before it’s too late?

27. Stage 2: School environment What difference does choice of school make on drinking rates? How does school environment affect adolescent drinking?

31. 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?

32. School characteristics

33. 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?

34. School characteristics Pupils in single gender schools drink more frequently School ethos also likely to be important Little evidence that home and school life ‘interact’ to affect alcohol use

35. Conclusions Family has a strong influences Evidence suggests: enhance monitoring well in advance of a child’s opportunity to drink Schools are important Evidence suggests: school environment and ethos influence drinking (rather than being in with a ‘drinking crowd’)

36. Careful now… Parent attachment paradox Inverse association between good relationships, and parental monitoring Schools are not just groups of pupils Ethos and environmental factors

37. Future research & practice “See first that the design is wise and just; that ascertained, pursue it resolutely” - Shakespeare Develop a theory Assess local evidence Build an intervention to suit

38. Thank you for listening Email: Mark.McCann@qub.ac.uk Facebook: Mark.McCann.18 Twitter: @Mark_ICCR