Results from a survey in Wirral secondary schools amongst parents and their children (aged 11-17 years) investigated the influences of parental drinking and perceptions of alcohol consumption.
Key findings from Parents' perceptions of their children's alcohol use include:
- When parents’ responses were matched with those of their child, the majority (86%) of parents’ perceptions of their child’s drinking status were correct: 33% rightly assumed their child drank alcohol and 53% rightly assumed that their child did not drink. However, 9% were not aware that their child drank when they did.
- Using the matched responses, 64% of parents correctly assumed no harm had been experienced by their child. However, 19% of children had experienced harm of which their parents were unaware. This was significantly more common in children who reported drinking compared with those who did not
- 86% of parents reported having talked to their child about alcohol in the past three months. This was reported by 59% of children.
- Parents who perceived their child as drinking alcohol were significantly more likely to report having introduced at least three of the parenting methods to reduce/prevent alcohol consumption and related harm. (Parenting methods included ensuring their child carried their mobile phone.)
- Parental and child reported drinking was strongly related: children who drank were significantly more likely to report having at least one parent who drank than children who did not.
In 2010 a DCSF report 'Children, Young People and Alcohol' explored parent's and young people’s attitudes and behaviour towards alcohol. In 2009 the Chief Medical Officer's guidance on the consumption of alcohol by children and young people was released.
For further reports and information on alcohol and children and young people, see here on the Centre for Public Health’s website, Alcohol Learning Centre and a recent JRF study on children and family life.
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