The theoretical case for peer drinking affecting onset is somewhat mixed. Although early adolescence is a time when peer relationships become especially important (Gardner & Steinberg, 2005), there is also evidence that middle to older adolescents perceive more peer pressure to drink (Steinberg & Monahan, 2007), perhaps because drinking does not become widespread in adolescent populations until then (Burk, van der Vorst, Kerr, & Stattin, 2012). Very few studies have examined the issue empirically. Jessor and Jessor (1975) found an association between friends’ drinking and onset to drinking among young adolescents, and Trucco and colleagues (2011) found a distinct peer exposure effect on onset while controlling for selection. Both studies measured friends’ drinking behavior by participant reports.
