Abstract
BackgroundReductions in underage drinking will only come about from changes in the social and cultural environment. Despite decades of messages discouraging parental supply, parents perceive social norms supportive of allowing children to consume alcohol in ‘safe’ environments.MethodsTwelve focus groups conducted in a regional community in NSW, Australia; four with parents of teenagers (n = 27; 70 % female) and eight with adolescents (n = 47; 55 % female). Participants were recruited using local media. Groups explored knowledge and attitudes and around alcohol consumption by, and parental supply of alcohol to, underage teenagers; and discussed materials from previous campaigns targeting adolescents and parents.ResultsParents and adolescents perceived teen drinking to be a common behaviour within the community, but applied moral judgements to these behaviours. Younger adolescents expressed more negative views of teen drinkers and parents who supply alcohol than older adolescents. Adolescents and parents perceived those who ‘provide alcohol’ (other families) as bad parents, and those who ‘teach responsible drinking’ (themselves) as good people. Both groups expressed a preference for high-fear, victim-blaming messages that targeted ‘those people’ whose behaviours are problematic.ConclusionsIn developing and testing interventions to address underage drinking, it is essential to ensure the target audience perceive themselves to be the target audience. If we do not have a shared understanding of underage ‘drinking’ and parental ‘provision’, such messages will continue to be perceived by parents who are trying to do the ‘right’ thing as targeting a different behaviour and tacitly supporting their decision to provide their children with alcohol.
Highlights
Reductions in underage drinking will only come about from changes in the social and cultural environment
In the 2011 Australian secondary school survey, 34.9 % of 12-to-15-year-olds and 31.3 % of 16-to-17-year-olds report that their last alcoholic drink was provided to them by their parents [7]; and in a survey of 530 secondary students in New South Wales, 40.7 % of drinkers reported receiving alcohol from their parents in the last month, with younger respondents were more likely to report that their parents were their main source of alcohol [25]
This paper reports a qualitative study of adolescents and parents in a regional town New South Wales (Australia), a jurisdiction where it is not unlawful for children or adolescents to consume alcohol
Summary
Reductions in underage drinking will only come about from changes in the social and cultural environment. Regular alcohol consumption or binge drinking during adolescence associated with a range of negative health and social outcomes including physical and mental health problems, risky sexual behaviour, poor school performance and anti-social behaviour; and long-term health effects such. A growing body of evidence indicates that parents exert significant influence over adolescents’ underage drinking behaviour; children of parents permit or accept underage drinking are more likely to consume alcohol in adolescence than. It is clear that parents are a common source of alcohol for ( younger) adolescents; with this finding being replicated in a range of countries including the United States [20, 21], Sweden [22], Ireland [23] and Australia [24]. In the 2011 Australian secondary school survey, 34.9 % of 12-to-15-year-olds and 31.3 % of 16-to-17-year-olds report that their last alcoholic drink was provided to them by their parents [7]; and in a survey of 530 secondary students in New South Wales, 40.7 % of drinkers reported receiving alcohol from their parents in the last month, with younger respondents were more likely to report that their parents were their main source of alcohol [25]
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