African American youth appear to endorse similar conservative attitudes as their parents (Herd, 1994b; Ringwalt & Palmer, 1990; Wallace & Muroff, 2002). For example, they are more likely to perceive drug use as high risk and disapprove of use altogether than are European American youth (Wallace & Bachman, 1993). Three specific aspects of the African American family have been identified as protective factors against alcohol use among African American youth: providing more restricted access to alcohol, engaging in higher levels of parental monitoring of adolescent behaviors, and higher rates of sanctioning use, compared to what is observed among European American parents (James & Johnson, 1996). For example, Peterson and colleagues (1994) found that African American parents drank less (and were thus less likely to have alcohol in the home), held more negative views towards alcohol, and believed alcohol was more harmful than European American parents. Similarly, Johnson and Johnson (1999) reported that African American parents tend to be especially strict regarding alcohol use among their children, thus serving as an important buffer against use among African American adolescents. Studies have
