Published: February 1, 2006
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Email"Much of the previous research in this area shows that adolescents make their decisions about drugs based on influence from their friends," says Stephen Bahr, professor of sociology at BYU and the study’s lead author. "But those studies neglect the notion we found here, that some of the family characteristics help determine who teens associate with. We also found that some steps taken by parents had a direct effect on lowering drug abuse, even in the face of peer influences."
The findings, published recently in the Journal of Primary Prevention, held true for alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana and "hard" drugs such as heroin and ecstasy.
"The fact that parents can make a difference in peer choices, or even after those peer choices are made, is an important message to get out there," says study co-author John Hoffmann, also a BYU professor of sociology. "Parents, you shouldn’t throw up your hands, even if you find out your kids are starting to hang around with kids who use drugs."
The researchers conducted anonymous, random surveys of more than 4,000 seventh- through twelfth-graders. The results showed that within the previous 30 days, 21 percent reported drinking alcohol, 12 percent had engaged in binge drinking, 9 percent had smoked marijuana and 12.5 percent took hard drugs. The study revealed that the influence of peers is strong, but it is mediated by what parents say and do.
The researchers also found other actions parents took that had significant effects on drug use:
- For each degree of tolerance toward marijuana that teens perceive in their parents (measured on a 5-point scale), there is a 33- percent increase in frequency of marijuana use.
- The frequency of marijuana use drops 10 percent for each degree that teens perceive their parents as monitoring their activities, even after accounting for influence of peers.
- The risk of using other illicit drug drops by 14 percent for each degree that teens believe parents are monitoring their activities.
- The researchers suggest asking teens questions such as:
- Who are your friends?
- Whose house are you going to?
- What will you be doing?
- Which adults will be around?
- When will you be home?
"Even if your kids are hanging out with friends who are using marijuana or hard drugs, if you are monitoring where they go and what they’re doing, then you can decrease the risk that your kids will be using these substances also," Hoffmann says. "As long as kids are aware that their parents know what they’re doing, they’re going to be less likely to use it."
