A new report published by the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS), with fieldwork conducted by ORB International, shows that parents do not have to regularly drink large amounts of alcohol for their children to notice changes in their behaviour and experience negative impacts.
From February to September 2017, ORB International conducted a set of four focus groups and a nationally representative online survey of almost 2,000 parents and children to provide primary research evidence for the study.
Having seen a parent tipsy or drunk was associated with children feeling worried as well as experiencing at least one of a range of negative impacts, including feeling less comforted than usual, facing more arguments, unpredictable parental behaviour and disrupted bedtime routines.
It also found that:
- 29% of parents reported having been drunk in front of their child.
- 51% of parents reported having been tipsy in front of their child.
- 29% of parents thought it was ok to get drunk in front their child as long as it did not happen regularly.
- If a child had seen their parent tipsy or drunk, they were less likely to consider the way their parent drinks alcohol as providing a positive role model for them – regardless of how much their parent usually drunk.
The full report can be found here: https://www.ias.org.uk/News/2017/18-October-2017-Like-sugar-for-adults-report-highlights-anxiety-about-parents-drinking.aspx