THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALCOHOL ABUSE AND PERCEPTION OF PARENTING STYLE AMONG ZIMBABWEAN ADOLESCENTS

Abstract

The issue of alcohol abuse is not a new dilemma to baffle societies, however the fact that consumer age is on a fast decline has been. There are reports of children as young as 13 drinking themselves into oblivion and this epidemic seem to be gaining a stronghold in many communities. Researchers have attempted to determine the reasons why children are abusing alcohol and have attributed it to issues such as media influence, availability, and parenting styles. This study will focus on the effect of perceived parenting styles and alcohol abuse. It was hypothesised that a significant correlation exists between alcohol consumption and the three subscales of parenting style. A sample of 20 boys and girls, aged 14 to 18, was used as participants. Data was analyzed using ANOVA and the findings implicated that parenting style was a predictor of alcohol abuse in adolescence. Adolescence who viewed their parents as being authoritarian and permissive, scored higher on the alcohol intake test, compared to those who viewed their parents as authoritative.