That is, Bailey et al. did not focus on broad characteristics such as family cohesion or ... Jasmina Burdzovic Andreas, Ph.D., Sc.M. Department of Substance Use.
Journal of Adolescent Health 62 (2018) 643–644
www.jahonline.org Editorial
Making Connections Between Parenting Practices and Adolescent Substance Use
What can parents do to delay, reduce, or entirely prevent their children’s smoking, drinking, and drug use behaviors? This is the basic question underlying much of the research investigating the connections between parental characteristics, actions, and behaviors and substance use in their children. That parental own alcohol, tobacco, and drug use are associated with significant risks for these outcomes in their children is fairly well-understood [1–6]. However, from a preventive standpoint, it would be more useful to know whether, and if so how, parents could provide positive and protective influences against such developmental trajectories. The answers to this question have been less straightforward than one might think. Studies emphasizing various group socialization mechanisms, for example, suggest that parental influences fade away in comparison to those of peers when it comes to adolescent substance use [7–11]. While most studies focus on the substance-using friends as the sources of risk, these peer-effects can be protective too: for example, a recent longitudinal report demonstrated that nonusing peers, but not parental monitoring, lessened the risk imposed by the neighborhood drug problems on adolescents’ alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use [12]. Even though the role of peers in the development of substance use behaviors cannot be dismissed [13–15], current literature provides considerable evidence that parents, still, do matter and can provide positive role for their children. Parents who refrain from substance use likely both directly and indirectly model and socialize healthy behaviors: for example, children of nonusing parents were less likely to engage in drinking, smoking, and marijuana use even if their peers were doing so [16]. In addition, a more concrete set of parenting behaviors defined by monitoring, rule-setting, and disapproval of substance use [14,17–21] has been associated with lowered risk of substance use, associated problems, and/or delayed onset of such behaviors in adolescents. Bailey et al.’s article in this issue of the Journal [22] is the most recent in the series of strong methodological reports from the Seattle Social Development Project (SSDP) and The Intergenerational Project to address the questions of family and parenting practices in relation to various aspects of substance use
behaviors among the offspring [4,23,24]. This report’s primary strength lies in its nuanced focus on a range of parenting behaviors and their putative effects—both concurrent and over short period of time—on children’s drinking, smoking, and marijuana use. These approaches echo the basic developmental postulates of time, place, and detailed context, and emphasize the role of substance-specific—as opposed to general—parenting practices as central in children’s own substance use. That is, Bailey et al. did not focus on broad characteristics such as family cohesion or parent-child relationship quality. Even though some studies do report the effects of such qualities on adolescent substance use [20], general evidence as to their effect appears mixed [25]. More importantly, the question of how exactly the complexities of parent-child relationship would be addressed by public health initiatives remains unclear. Instead of such broad and relatively subjective constructs, Bailey et al. examined and accounted for a number of substance-specific parenting characteristics: whether parents themselves were substance users (e.g., binge drinking, smoking, or using marijuana), what kind of substance-using beliefs they held, and what sort of substance-using rules they imposed on their children. Most importantly, parents were asked whether they allowed or even encouraged their children to participate in family substance use rituals by, for example, pouring an alcoholic drink or by lighting up a cigarette for other family members. This highly nuanced approach revealed the importance of substance-specific and tangible parenting practices. Specifically, even if parents imposed a set of rules in theory, if they contradicted such decisions in practice, their children were significantly more likely to use alcohol and tobacco. This was true even 1 year later, and even after accounting for a range of other parenting behaviors and family characteristics. In their emphasis on specificity, Bailey et al. provide a useful set of directions for future research on parenting practices and their role in preventing adolescent substance use. While some risks may be common [26], it may be more prudent to identify protective factors that are more specific, focused, and perhaps simpler to implement. In that sense, these results also may provide recommendations for the public health initiatives and tentative
See Related Article on p. 681 1054-139X/© 2018 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.03.007
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Editorial / Journal of Adolescent Health 62 (2018) 643–644
answers for parents wondering what they can do to prevent underage substance use. A set of substance-specific rules accompanied by corresponding practices defined by a complete non-involvement of children in family drinking or smoking rituals would be a favorable start. Jasmina Burdzovic Andreas, Ph.D., Sc.M. Department of Substance Use Norwegian Institute of Public Health Oslo, Norway
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