Going Along With the Group
Your child will include “others” in their moral reasoning—even if their perception of what their peers are doing is wrong. Research shows that teens and younger adults tend to overestimate how many of their peers drink alcohol, and the more they overestimate, the more likely they are to drink. Your child may justify decisions by saying, “everyone at my school drinks.” Rather than arguing, try to offer an alternative perception, such as “Reputable studies show that 7 out of 10 teens actually do NOT drink alcohol. This means that most of the kids at school are probably not drinking as much as you might think.” Youth often believe that they should be excused for misbehavior if it wasn’t planned or if they are one of many. They may say, “We didn’t mean to drink alcohol; things just happened; kids make mistakes.” This is where you can communicate with them about your family rules and help them form a plan for the next time these situations arise.
7 in 10 teens do not drink alcohol.
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