This will determine the impact of attitudes and contextual factors (e.g., peer affiliations) associated with alcohol abuse on risky and precocious sexual activity among children and adolescents. Families (200 fathers, 200 mothers, 200 first born offspring between 10-16 of age, 200 second born offspring at least 6 years of age, and 200 selected friends of first born offspring) having alcoholic fathers will be studied at two timepoints. The offspring will be 50% female and 50% male. It is hypothesized that conflictual interactions between parents and offspring lead to disengagement from the family sphere of influence to peer affiliation where excessive alcohol consumption and other problem behaviors are common, and age-incongruent behavior, particularly unprotected sexual behavior, is manifest. The pattern of behavior, combined with heavier alcohol consumption, places the youngster at high risk for an earlier age of onset of sexual behavior, multiple (different) sexual partners, lower rates of condom use, etc., increasing risk for HIV infection and other STD outcomes. In summary, the liability to early age alcohol use in children is known to be strongly influenced by (1) paternal history of alcohol dependence, and, (2) temperament disposition of both the parent and child. Research has yet to be conducted to determine how these two sets of risk factors operate conjointly to determine the quality of family interactions (parent-child, sibling-sibling) and peer affiliation patterns. Current research suggests that peer affiliation patterns are the main proximal determinant of alcohol use and risky sexual behavior among youths. By disaggregating the interrelationship among individual, family and peer processes, adolescents having the highest likelihood of engaging in risky sexual behavior can be targeted with innovative primary prevention strategies that reduce risk for AIDS (and other STDs) and concurrent alcohol abuse.
| Blackson, T C; Butler, T; Belsky, J et al. (1999) Individual traits and family contexts predict sons' externalizing behavior and preliminary relative risk ratios for conduct disorder and substance use disorder outcomes. Drug Alcohol Depend 56:115-31 |
