Parental monitoring and peer group association: Their influence on adolescent substance use

An integrated model was developed and tested examining the interrelationships among parental monitoring, peer group association, and adolescent substance use. The theoretical model is based on Patterson and his colleagues' (Dishion, Reid, & Patterson, 1988) and Brown and his colleagues' (Brown, Mounts, Lamborn, & Steinberg, 1993) theoretical models explaining the interrelationships among parenting behavior, peer group association, and adolescent substance use. The results suggest that parental monitoring acts as a catalyst for both peer group association and adolescent substance use. Implications for interventions to prevent adolescent substance use are discussed.