A Washington State University-led study has found a significant link between parental permissiveness toward drinking and increased binge drinking among college students. The research suggests targeted interventions could be implemented to reduce risky behaviors and emphasizes the enduring influence of parental attitudes even after students leave home.
Before ever setting foot on campus, many college students who binge drink may be influenced by the attitudes toward alcohol they learned at home, according to a new study led by Washington State University (WSU).
The research, published in the journal Behavioral Sciences, reveals that students who binge drink more frequently often come from homes where parents had a more permissive attitude toward alcohol consumption. Notably, these students are also more likely to join fraternities or sororities, environments which can exacerbate risky drinking behaviors.
“Previous research has shown that greater parental permissiveness, or approval, of student drinking is linked to greater alcohol use among college students,” lead author Kristi Morrison, a doctoral student in WSU’s prevention science program, said in a news release. “We explored the relationship between parental approval and student Greek affiliation and found that parents of students who join Greek organizations tend to be more permissive of binge drinking even before their students come to college.”
Binge drinking, defined as consuming four or more alcoholic drinks on one occasion for women and five or more for men, poses significant health risks, including alcohol poisoning and blackouts.
Morrison emphasized the importance of identifying risk factors such as parental permissiveness to develop targeted interventions aimed at reducing these behaviors.
“Understanding risk factors, like parental permissiveness, gives us targets for interventions that can reduce risky behavior,” she added.
In the study, Morrison and her co-authors surveyed both parents and students, before and during the students’ first year of college. They asked parents how wrong they felt it would be if their student engaged in heavy episodic drinking and asked students about their perception of their parents’ attitudes.
“The initial transition to college is a very high-risk time,” added co-author Jennifer Duckworth, an assistant professor in WSU’s Department of Human Development. “Studies like this can help universities identify areas where interventions can be developed and implemented to reduce binge drinking.”
Morrison and Duckworth advocate for parenting programs that encourage setting clear guidelines about alcohol use. Programs like Letting Go and Staying Connected, which started at WSU and has expanded to other universities across Washington, aim to educate parents on how to effectively communicate the risks associated with binge drinking.
“Risk factors look different across groups,” Duckworth added. “Parental permissiveness is one risk factor that can be changed relatively easily. It’s important to help parents think about what it means to be less permissive toward alcohol use.”
Even well-intentioned efforts by parents to promote “safe” drinking can sometimes backfire.
“Parents may think having their teens drink at home in a protected environment is safer, but it conveys an approval of alcohol use,” Morrison added. “Research shows that when parents are less approving of alcohol use, students tend to drink less.”
The study highlights the ongoing influence parents have on their children’s decisions about alcohol, even after they leave home for college. Morrison, set to earn her doctorate in two years, and her team, including researchers from WSU and the University of Washington, call for greater parental involvement in addressing and mitigating college binge drinking.
Source: Washington State University