Our finding that high levels of parental monitoring were protective against alcohol-related problems—even in the presence of genetic and physiological risk factors—is consistent with previous research (Beck, Shattuck, Haynie, Crump, & Simons-Morton, 1999; Becker et al., 2012; Steinberg et al., 1994). Our finding of significantly increased drinks and binge drinking days under conditions of low monitoring is also consistent with the literature. Adolescents raised by parents low on monitoring may be more likely to associate with deviant peers, thus increasing their own exposure and access to substances. Another possibility is that low parental monitoring increases the opportunities for adolescents to use on their own. Here we did not assess drinking context (i.e., whether participants were drinking alone, with friends, etc.), but future work should attempt to answer this interesting question.
