Previous research suggests that some alcohol use in the early adolescent period may be regarded as normative and that initiation of use is modestly associated with progression to heavier use and problem use (e.g. binge drinking; Fowler et al. 2007). Our findings suggest that the view of alcohol use as age normative may be qualified by pubertal timing. The early adolescent years are considered a sensitive period for parents, during which they must learn to facilitate appropriate levels of autonomy, relinquish some control and remain supportive; the extent of their success may influence adolescent adjustment and behaviour (Galambos, Barker & Almeida, 2003). The use of alcohol by late maturing girls may be problematic for parents because there is a greater conflict of interest between girls’ increased need for autonomy (linked to their chronological age and comparison with same-age peers) on the one hand and parents’ vigilance and control (linked to their daughter’s physical maturity) on the other. In other words, late maturing girls’ relative stage of maturation is incongruent with the increased autonomy that characterises their behaviour, including substance use.
