Beliefs About Alcohol Use Among Youths During Early Adolescence

Abstract

Understanding alcohol use onset among young adolescents is critical in identifying their perceptions, socialization, and decision making that will assist in prevention efforts. This study examined children's beliefs about alcohol. We conducted focus groups with 18 youths in grades 3 through 8 to explore their views about (1) the risk and protective factors of underage drinking and (2) the consequences of alcohol use. Findings suggest that youths' perceptions of media content, use of family members as verbal and behavioral referents, non-family member adults' alcohol use, and peer factors are concomitant processes that youths consider in formulating beliefs about alcohol use.

KEYWORDS:

• alcohol
• consensual qualitative research
• early adolescence
• focus group

Acknowledgments

Work on this project was supported by a grant from the Florida State University Center for Research Creativity, awarded to Dr. Randolph. The authors gratefully acknowledge comments from Dr. Tony Tripodi on earlier drafts.