Parents' Reported Needs in Preventing Their Children from Engaging in Alcohol, Tobacco, and other Drug Use

Parents Know Best, But Are They Accurate? Parental Normative Misperceptions and Their Relationship to Students' Alcohol-Related Outcomes

“…Although students' perceived social norms have been identifi ed as among the strongest predictors of college student drinking (Neighbors et al, 2007), this study focused on parental norms and documented how normative parental misperceptions of other parents significantly contribute to students' alcohol use. Because parents are often challenged by the task of talking to their children about alcohol use (King et al, 2002), it is likely that parents, in part, think about what the prevailing attitude is of other parents of college students to help determine their personal attitudes toward their own child's drinking. However, as our results indicate, parents do not have an accurate understanding of other college-student parents' beliefs and values regarding child alcohol use while in college, which could be problematic.…”

“…Parents often fi nd that talking to their children about alcohol use and monitoring their child's drinking are diffi cult tasks, and they often turn to others for support and guidance (King et al, 2002). Further, studies demonstrate that parenting approaches and attitudes are affected by parents' social networks (Homel et al, 1987) and other external social factors (e.g., their parents, community norms, and social experiences; Grimes et al, 2004;King et al, 2002). As the authors of one study note, "Parents judge the adequacy of their own parenting by looking at what other parents say and do" (Linkenbach et al, 2003, p. 248).…”

Enhancing Parent-Child Communication about Drug Use: Strategies for Professionals Working with Parents and Guardians

“…Many parents and guardians have basic questions regarding how to effectively communicate with their children on sensitive topics such as drug use. Professionals working to help parents and guardians prevent youth drug use should encourage them to utilize an array of strategies to convey clear and consistent prevention messages (King, Wagner, & Hedrick, 2002). Such strategies include using basic communication skills, active listening, addressing peer pressure, and establishing a physical environment conducive to quality communication.…”

“…Parents feel their largest needs in preventing children from using drugs are in teaching their children to resist peer pressure and to effectively communicate with their children (King et al, 2002). Research has shown that children who know effective ways to resist negative peer pressure are less likely to succumb to such pressure (Hawkins & Catalano, 1992).…”

“…Professionals working with parents and guardians may assist their clients by offering trainings and educational information that provides practical, action-oriented, research-based strategies to effectively resist negative peer pressure. Professionals should consider using role plays and mock peer pressure scenarios at training sites as a means to identify and practice effective ways to "say no" to peer pressure (King et al, 2002). In teaching peer pressure resistance, professionals should introduce the skill; review specific steps needed to perform the skill; model and explain each step; have parents/guardians observe, practice and rehearse the skills; and then provide parents/guardians with reinforcement and feedback (Quackenbush, Kane, & Telljohann, 2004).…”