Although most of the research on parental alcohol use has focused on fathers (Leonard & Eiden, 2007), research has been inconsistent in determining whether maternal or paternal alcoholism has greater negative effects on adolescent outcomes. Some research suggests paternal alcoholism is more harmful for adolescents than maternal alcoholism (Loukas, Fitzgerald, Zucker, & von Eye, 2001; Ohannessian, 2013). Haugland (2003) suggested that children of alcoholic fathers engage in more externalizing behaviors compared to children in the general population. However, this previous study was based on a small sample from Norway, which may not be representative of the experiences of adolescents in the United States. Research also suggests that the effect of paternal alcoholism on adolescent alcohol and drug use may be mediated by a variety of factors, such as maternal communication, adolescent coping, and social skills (Peleg-Oren, Hospital, Morris, & Wagner, 2013).
