Influences of Adolescent Alcohol Drinking - Adolescent Perceptions of Peer Drinking

Despite a long history of prevention efforts and laws prohibiting the consumptionof alcohol for those below the age of 21 years underage drinkingcontinues at both a high prevalence rate and high incidence rate. The purposeof this research study is to explain underage drinking of alcohol conditionedby perception of peer drinking. An acquisition model is conjecturedand then a relationship within the model is explained with a national sampleof students. From a developmental perspective drinking alcohol is acquiredin a reasonably ordered fashion that reflects the influences over time of theculture family and peers. The study measures perceptions of alcohol drinkingduring early adolescence when alcohol use begins the maintenance phase ofthe behavior. The correlation between drinking alcohol and perception ofclassmate drinking can be described via social learning theory. Multilevellogistic regression was used to analyze the relations. The book is addressed toresearchers in social welfare sociology and public health.