摘要：Objectives. We examined the prevalence and dynamics of binge drinking among middle school students. Methods. We analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The sample was composed of approximately 5300 seventh-and eighth-grade students who were interviewed at 2 points in time. Results. Approximately 8% of seventh graders and 17% of eighth graders reported engaging in binge drinking during the past 12 months. These rates varied as a function of school characteristics. Low scores on the parenting variables—communication quality, use of reasoning, and control and supervision—and binge drinking during middle school also were predictive of binge drinking during high school. Conclusions. Binge drinking among middle school students is an important phenomenon that for many students forecasts future binge drinking during high school. There is a large body of research on the binge-drinking activities of older adolescents. Among high school seniors, approximately 80% reported that they had used alcohol, and almost one third reported at least 1 binge-drinking incident. 1, 2 Binge drinking among older adolescents has been linked to adverse outcomes, including decreased performance in school, alcohol-impaired driving, illicit drug use, and sexual aggression. 3– 5 Although college and high school binge drinking have been studied in depth, there are few studies of binge drinking among middle school students. This is despite the fact that about 50% of eighth graders reported having used alcohol, and 23% reported having been drunk at least once in their lives. 6 A sizeable number of these students also reported binge drinking. 6 Most studies of alcohol use among young adolescents have focused on general alcohol consumption. The research shows that lifelong drinking patterns often begin far sooner than high school and frequently can be traced to alcohol-related experiences during middle school. 7– 9 Entry into middle school from elementary school is a watershed event for most children. They enter a school that usually is physically larger, farther from home, and populated by older students. Accustomed to being in the same classroom with familiar classmates and a teacher who knows them well, middle school students encounter departmentalized teachers, didactic pedagogy, ability-based curricular tracking, and more competitive classroom settings. 10– 12 Concomitant with these school changes are dramatic physical changes that youths undergo as they move toward pubertal maturation. These physical changes are accompanied by significant hormonal and social changes. 13– 15 Adolescents rely on numerous coping strategies for dealing with these demands, including turning to alcohol and binge drinking. Among older adolescents, researchers acknowledge the connection between binge drinking and the negotiation of adolescent life passages, such as entering a new educational setting. 3, 16, 17 It thus makes sense to explore the dynamics of binge-drinking behavior among middle school students who themselves are undergoing such transitions. Despite this, little is known about gender, racial/ethnic, or grade differences among middle school students with respect to binge drinking. We examined binge-drinking rates among a national sample of adolescents aged 12 to 14 years in the United States. We then considered the effect of school differences on binge-drinking rates, and we tested whether these differences vary systematically as a function of school characteristics. College and high school studies have shown that drinking rates differ as a function of school-level variables, such as student perceptions of permissive norms; 18– 21 private versus public status, 22 and, in colleges, the presence of fraternity drinking traditions, easy access to alcohol (e.g., kegs of beer on campus), and on-campus alcohol advertising. 23, 24 However, across-school studies of binge drinking among middle school students are relatively rare. We hypothesized that public schools and schools with larger numbers of students would show higher rates of binge drinking than private schools and schools with smaller student bodies. This hypothesis was based on the assumption that the larger public schools with larger class sizes pose greater challenges because individual students receive less attention from adults (e.g., teachers, counselors) and thereby produce a less supportive and potentially stressful environment. We also hypothesized that schools with stricter policies for punishing alcohol-related offenses would have lower rates of binge drinking because of a greater deterrence factor. Moreover, we hypothesized that schools that actively engaged parents, as indexed by the presence of a parent organization, would have lower rates of binge drinking. This was based on the assumption that school–parent partnerships lead to more effective school programs for helping students adjust to the demands of middle school. Finally, we hypothesized that schools with a general climate of teacher concern for students would show lower rates of binge drinking than schools with climates of teacher apathy. This was based on the assumption that students benefit from the involvement of adult role models and expressions of teacher support. In addition to school-based influences, we also explored family influences on binge drinking. Parental influence on binge drinking has not been studied much among college students, primarily because of the assumption that parents have minimal influence on their children when they move out of the home. Among middle school students, however, it is well known that parents play a central role in adolescent development. School outreach efforts aimed at parents of students represent a viable intervention option for middle school officials. 25 The design of such programs is facilitated by the identification of practical parenting strategies that parents can learn and then use to reduce binge-drinking tendencies. We evaluated 4 such variables, all of which have a theoretical and empirical base in the broader literature on adolescent development. 14, 26– 29 First, we hypothesized that parents who supervise and maintain control over their adolescents will have children who are less likely to engage in binge drinking. This is based on the assumption that control and supervision (1) minimize opportunities for adolescents to engage in binge drinking and (2) convey a sense of concern and involvement on the part of the parent. Second, we hypothesized that parents who have good communication with their children will be less likely to have children who engage in binge drinking. This is based on the assumption that open communication between parent and child helps children solve problems and maintain a sense of connection with parents. Third, we hypothesized that parents who reason with their children and explain the bases of their actions when children transgress will have children who are less likely to engage in binge drinking. This is based on the assumption that such activities help children internalize morals and develop a value structure to guide behavior when authority figures are not present. Finally, we hypothesized that parents who set high academic standards will have children who are less likely to engage in binge drinking. This is based on the assumption that keeping students involved in their schoolwork and oriented toward academics lessens both the opportunities and the motivations for binge drinking.
