Talk to children about alcohol issues, parents urged
With research showing that more than one-third of young people have seen pictures of their friends drunk online, campaigners are encouraging parents to talk to pre-teen children about alcohol.
A study by Ipsos MORI shows online networking sites could have a significant influence on young people’s perceptions of normal drinking behaviour.
The findings show how the influence of peers increases steeply with age; 7 per cent of 10-11-year-olds report being encouraged to drink by someone their age or younger, rising to 37 per cent by the time they are 15-17 years old. A fifth (19 per cent) of 10-17-year-olds say that all or most of their friends drink alcohol.
The alcohol education charity Drinkaware is encouraging parents to talk to their children about alcohol in their pre-teen years and help them resist the pressure to drink. Drinkaware reassures parents that their influence on their children may be greater than they think, and wants parents to support their children to avoid alcohol by using age-appropriate tips and advice available on its website.
Drink ‘normalised’
Anne Foster, director of marketing and communications at Drinkaware, says: “Children as young as 10 are seeing drunkenness normalised through images – whether this is online, in the media or through their own experiences. Undoubtedly, friends are influential in shaping the way young people think about alcohol, but just as influential are parents who can provide support and advice to help children cope with these pressures.
“Our research shows that most children will go to their parents first for information and advice about alcohol. While that is reassuring for parents to know, it also shows how important it is that parents feel confident and well prepared to have those conversations.”
Eileen Hayes, MBE, patron of Parenting UK, says: “Our children might reassure us that they aren’t interested in going out to get drunk, but we all know that, faced with a difficult situation, the reality can turn out differently.
“This is especially so for a generation growing up with pictures of their friends getting drunk on social media sites. This is why it’s so important that we talk to our children about how to make good decisions about alcohol and avoid doing things when drunk that can come back to haunt them online.
“What might appear funny or clever when drunk can feel silly and embarrassing in the cold light of day.”
Parents can get tips and advice on talking to their children about alcohol at Drinkaware