Teenage Drinking & the Effects on the Family

Teenage drinking is a cause of concern for many parents. The latest Partnership Attitude Tracking Study found that of the teens surveyed, 62 percent of those who drank had experimented with alcohol by the age of 15, according to the Partnership at Drugfree. Teenage drinking doesn't affect only the individual, although an alcohol problem can have serious consequences for teens themselves; it can have broad implications for family members, including parents and siblings.

Prevalence

• According to that research by the Partnership at Drugfree, alcohol usage by teenagers is becoming more prevalent. The 2011 report found that of those teens asked, 25 percent had tried alcohol before age 12. Researchers conducting the study discovered that on average, individuals who drink started at 14.

Consequences for Teenagers

• Alcohol use by teenagers can lead to potentially dangerous activities because alcohol impairs the drinker's senses and decision-making capabilities. Teens might drink and drive, engage in anti-social behavior, or have risky sexual intercourse. For instance, of the 46 percent of high school students who had engaged in sexual intercourse, almost 22 percent did so after drinking alcohol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2009.

Hostility

• Teenagers' activities when they consume alcohol, and the lifestyle that such activities form, can eventually lead to clashes with family members, especially if parents have forbidden a teen to drink. Teens who feel restricted might lash out verbally, and might become unpleasant to be around for parents and their siblings. If the teenagers get into trouble with the law, this can lead to further arguments with their parents.

Withdrawal

• Teenagers who drink alcohol on a regular basis can become withdrawn from their family. Because drinking is typically an illicit activity for kids, teens are likely to attempt to conceal their drinking from their parents, resulting in behavior that distances them from their family and causes family relationships to deteriorate. Teenagers might feel that because they cannot be honest with their parents about their drinking, they cannot communicate with them about other matters.

Influence Siblings

• A prime concern for parents of teenagers who drink alcohol is that the teen's behavior will influence younger siblings' attitudes towards alcohol. Kids who see older siblings enjoying alcohol might view drinking as something they want to try. This is particularly common in the case of same-sex siblings, according to the Alcohol Cost Calculator website.

Passing It On

• Once the teenager becomes an adult, underage drinking can have serious repercussions on family life. As noted by the Family Education website, growing up in an alcohol-heavy lifestyle can later affect that person's own children. Parents with alcohol problems in their backgrounds might continue to drink later in life, which in turn can influence their own teens to take up alcohol.