Pooled bivariate correlations (across time) split by gender are presented in Table 1. There were medium-sized correlations of age and parent disapproval of alcohol use with alcohol use. The correlations between emotional closeness/family conflict and alcohol use were small versus small-to-medium in magnitude for boys and girls respectively. Gender differences in the start points and rates of growth for key variables are depicted in Figure 1a–d. At wave 3 (first alcohol measurement), one-way ANOVAs indicated significant gender differences for alcohol use [girls M = 2.3 (SD = 6.7) occasions per year, boys M = 3.4 (SD = 8.4) occasions per year; F(1) = 3.9, p < .05]. At wave 2 (lagged measures), one-way ANOVAs indicated gender differences between emotional closeness to fathers [F(1) = 5.3, p < .05] and parent disapproval of alcohol use [F(1) = 13.8, p < .001]. In terms of rates of growth, girls showed greater growth in alcohol use than boys (Figure 1a). Model 1 (age as the sole predictor) showed the odds of drinking increased more than fourfold each year for girls [Odds Ratio (OR)
