Authoritative parenting style and adolescent smoking and drinking (2012)

While peer influences have often found to be a risk factor in terms of adolescent substance use, parental variables may continue to serve as an adaptive and protective function, although the role of parents is more latent and controversial. Therefore, the main goal of this paper was to investigate the role of authoritative parenting style and other family variables in adolescents' smoking and drinking. Using a sample of Hungarian youth (N = 2072; age range between 12 and 22; Mean = 15.4 years, S.D. = 1.8 years; 49,2% males) logistic regression analyses confirmed that authoritative parenting style (particularly responsiveness) and positive identification with parents may serve as a protection, whereas negative family interactions may act as a risk factor. These relationships are particularly decisive in case of monthly prevalence of drinking and both lifetime and current prevalence of smoking. Gender differences are slight (namely, parental control for boys, whereas responsiveness for girls seem to be more relevant), however, the role of certain parental variables may change with age. Although parental control tends to decrease among high school students, it even serves as a greater protection for those whose parents continue providing parental monitoring.
Highlights:
► Authoritative parenting style provides protection against adolescent substance use.
► Negative family interactions may act as a risk factor.
► Parental control for boys, reponsiveness for girls seem to be more relevant.
► Parental control serves as a protection despite its decrease during adolescence.