Aggression and peer victimization experiences among adolescents who use alcohol with versus without parental permission

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Alcohol use among adolescents has been linked to a host of negative social adjustment outcomes, including aggression and peer victimization. However, it is not clear if these associations vary among those who use alcohol with parental permission versus without parental permission, which has implications for prevention and intervention approaches. Methods High school students reported on their past-year alcohol use (i.e., no use, only with parental permission, only without parental permission, and both with and without parental permission), aggressive behavior (i.e., proactive and reactive), and peer victimization (i.e., physical, relational, and cyber) experiences. Results Findings suggest that youth who use alcohol both with and without parental permission are associated with higher levels of both functions of aggression and all forms of peer victimization than those who do not use alcohol and only use alcohol with parental permission. Conclusions These results may indicate that parental permission to use alcohol does not necessarily reduce risk for negative social adjustment outcomes. Additional research investigating contributing factors to youth who use alcohol both with and without parental permission is needed to fully understand risk associated with adolescent alcohol use.