Irish parents are deluding themselves about their children's drinking, a new survey suggests. But it also indicates that many parents feel relaxed about children under 18 drinking - so long as it is done in their presence.
The survey, sponsored by the Cider Industry Council, was conducted for the National Parents' Council by Dr Mark Morgan, educational psychologist at St Patrick's College, Dublin.
According to Dr Morgan, a "vast volume" of research has established that 95 per cent of young people in Ireland try alcohol before they reach 18. But the survey found that only 15 per cent of parents thought experimenting with alcohol was that common.
The survey was based on a sample of 400 parents selected by the National Parents' Council - Post Primary.
Although parents misjudge the extent of underage drinking, most (57 per cent) believe the problem had got "a lot worse" in the past five years. The survey also suggested that it was the consequences of underage drinking and not the drinking itself that worried parents.
The main source of worry was "inappropriate behaviour" by underage drinkers. This was followed closely by "drinking in unsupervised places". Many parents seemed unconcerned about underage drinking so long as they had some control over it, the survey suggested.
"The aspect of least concern for parents is very clearly when children drink alcohol in the presence of their parents. Fifty-two per cent of parents are in favour of this practice, and a very small number, only 5 per cent, appear to have concerns about it," writes Dr Morgan.
When it comes to what to do about underage drinking, old-style coercion seems to have gone completely out of favour. Almost all (93 per cent) believed that talking to their children about drinking was helpful. More than 90 per cent believed setting a good example was important.
They believed schools could help children turn away from drinking by promoting their self-esteem, providing them with other interests and helping them to resist peer pressure.
"Interestingly, parents are divided about whether to insist that children do not drink until a certain age or to actually introduce children to alcohol at a certain age," said Dr Morgan. "Twenty-five per cent of parents believe it is better to insist on children abstaining from alcohol, while more than 26 per cent appear to have the more liberal view of introducing children to alcohol being more beneficial."
Nevertheless, parents saw the enforcement of existing laws concerning underage drinking as being of major importance. There was also strong support for a National Identification Card.
"The parents also thought that the drinks industry had an important role to play, by not sponsoring events that encourage consumption by young people, by sponsoring projects that deal with the problems and above all by continuing to ensure that advertisements for alcohol are not aimed at young people," the report said.