Ralph Castro
Parents can have more impact on their college-age children’s drinking habits than they might think.
That’s the message RALPH CASTRO, associate director of health promotion services at Vaden Health Center and assistant dean of student life, is imparting to Stanford parents in the current issue of the quarterly Stanford Parents’ Newsletter.
Parents’ Weekend is scheduled for next month, and Castro hopes to use the opportunity to reiterate his message to some of the more than 3,000 family members expected to visit.
Castro says research suggests that alcohol consumption may be the single most important area where parents should shed their concerns about over-involvement in their students’ lives and engage openly and honestly with their children.
Castro bases his advice on research done for a consortium of about 20 universities that includes Stanford. The research was done by the company that manages the online AlcoholEdu program required of all Stanford freshmen before their arrival on campus.
“The research asked whether parent involvement could affect outcomes with alcohol,” Castro said. “In a nutshell, the answer is yes. Kids who have talked to their parents about alcohol have fewer problems.”
He explained, “Just having a conversation appears to be enough to affect alcohol use. But if I could give advice, I would recommend that parents clearly define their expectations and say what they consider appropriate and inappropriate behavior. Past research has shown, for instance, that nondrinkers—when asked why they don’t drink—will say: ‘Because my parents don’t want me to.’”
Read the full article from the Parents’ Newsletter.
