Troubling Trends: Predictors of Binge Drinking in Adolescents in Northern Ireland

Based on data from a seven-year longitudinal study on the impact of political violence on families and children in Belfast, this thesis examines predictors of alcohol abuse among 128 Northern Irish adolescents (aged 15-21, 57% male) across two waves of data. The study focused on factors present in an adolescent’s social-ecological system, including levels of anger/aggression, maternal psychological control, and community violence as predictors of adolescent binge drinking across two time points. The analyses indicated that an adolescent's anger/aggression level is not a significant predictor of binge drinking over time (p > .11); however, both maternal psychological control (ß = .215, p = .015) and the level of community violence proved to be significant predictors in the regression analysis (ß = .215, p = .015; ß = .184, p = .027). The results of this study highlight two important implications for interventions: (1) early interventions with parents that promote positive parenting skills may aid in decreasing the severity of adolescent binge drinking, and (2) interventions at the community-wide level may also promote pro-social behavior and help decrease the level of adolescent binge drinking.