Parents can help their children avoid alcohol pitfalls during transition from high school to college

Science Codex, April 16, 2013

"Prior research has shown that the transition from high school to college is a particularly vulnerable time, associated with increased alcohol use and risk of negative alcohol-related consequences. While studies have examined the effectiveness of prevention programs to address this problem, few have examined which students may benefit the most. A study of student characteristics has found that parent-based interventions (PBIs) can be effective even among those students feeling high peer pressure to drink alcohol.
 'College matriculation is a vulnerable transition for many youth for many reasons,' said Michael J. Cleveland, research assistant professor at the Prevention Research Center at The Pennsylvania State University and corresponding author for the study. 'Increased freedoms and autonomy – from parental control and from the structure of high school – as well as instability – as new friendships and romantic relationships form – may lead to increased opportunities, and social pressures, for young people to experiment with alcohol and other substances.'" Read More