Purpose: To identify parent and family influences on a range of adolescent risk behaviors to make recommendations for building stronger parent-based interventions. This review of the parenting literature is the first to synthesize research across adolescent risk behaviors. Method: A comprehensive review of the scientific literature was conducted which identified parental influences across the following risk behaviors: sexual behavior, violence, unintentional injury, physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and alcohol and other drug use. Results: Research findings indicate that a number of family/parenting variables are associated with one or more adolescent risk behaviors. These include parent monitoring, parenting style, quality of family relationships, modeling of parental behaviors, and parent-adolescent communication. For example, conflicted parent-child relationships were found to be associated with increased adolescent involvement with alcohol-using peers, with deviant behaviors, and with increased high risk sexual behaviors and tobacco use, whereas positive relationships were found to increase adolescent physical activity and to decrease adolescent risk for engaging in violent behaviors. An “open” style of parent-child communication was found to reduce adolescent high-risk sexual behaviors and increased levels of communication were associated with a reduction in risk for adolescent tobacco use, substance use, and deviant behaviors. Conclusions: Many existing prevention efforts for adolescents, in both school and community settings, would benefit from a parent component. Research-based recommendations are made for the development of parent-based education programs designed to assist parents and care givers in addressing these difficult issues with their adolescent children in the most effective manner.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to: 1. Identify parent and family factors that have an impact on adolescent risk behaviors 2. Recognize the importance of including parent components when designing interventions for youth
Keywords: School-Based Programs, Risk Behavior
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.