Reciprocal Relationships between Parenting and Youth Substance Use

The relationship between parenting and child behavior is complex, with some evidence suggesting parenting practices shape child behaviors and other evidence indicating that children’s characteristics and behaviors may influence parenting practices. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to assess longitudinal, bidirectional relationships between three parenting behaviors (i.e., involvement, positive parenting, supervision) and youth substance use during the transitions to middle and high school. Participants were drawn from the control group of a larger longitudinal study and were followed from 4th through 9th grade. Developmental models were created using structural equation modeling. Contrary to hypotheses, analyses revealed that youth substance use and parental involvement and positive parenting behaviors increased in stability during the transition to middle school. Youth substance use influenced parental involvement at 6^th and 9^th grades, and positive parenting at 7th grade. Parental involvement influenced youth substance use at 8^th grade. Supervision had no influence on youth substance use at any grade. Reciprocal relationships were observed between positive parenting and youth substance use at 8^th and 9^th grades. Models did not differ by gender, but did differ for parental involvement according to the type of substance use, such that involvement was more influential on the development of alcohol use than marijuana or tobacco use. Results are consistent with coercion and systems models which suggest that parents and children adjust their behavior based on the response of the other. Findings concerning the stability of youth substance use and parenting behaviors may impact our understanding of the development of youth substance use across time and improve interventions designed to reduce this behavior during periods of transition.