Parental Concern: Parents Discuss How They Support Their Adolescents Attending Schoolies Events in Australia

Abstract

Adolescents who have completed their high school studies converge on coastal areas of Australia annually to celebrate their freedom in events known as "Schoolies." The current body of research in relation to Schoolies demonstrates that adolescents consume alcohol and other drugs and engage in sexual activity during these events. Exactly how parents support adolescents in attending these events and how they perceive the Schoolies experience represent major gaps in the literature. To undertake this research, 7 parents were interviewed using a semi-structured approach. Interview transcripts were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis, with 4 main themes identified: communication, consuming alcohol, peer support, and helping parents to support their adolescents in attending Schoolies. Communication was the main strategy used by parents to talk about Schoolies with their adolescent, with the majority encouraging open communication around drinking alcohol, staying with friends, and instilling correct or moral values into their adolescents in relation to respectful behavior. Parents saw the consumption of alcohol as inevitable and as something they could not control. However, the ramifications of alcohol consumption were the primary concerns for these parents. This study provides a number of insights into the perceptions that parents have about Schoolies events and how they support their adolescent to attend. Parents sought guidance in supporting their adolescent child via educational media and talking to other parents.

Risk and protective factors for mental health at a youth mass gathering

“…The mass gathering of school leavers, with its characteristic partying and underage alcohol consumption, is portrayed as a risk to local residents' property and security, public order, and the safety of attendees [33,34]. Attendee safety and risk taking behaviour became most salient following several high-profile deaths of young people who fell from apartment balconies, or died from drug overdose [35,32]. For these reasons, prior research on Schoolies has predominantly focused on the health risk behaviours of drinking, drug use, and casual sex, with the evidence suggesting that these behaviours (particularly alcohol intoxication) are common and rates stable over the past three decades [36][37][38][39][40][41].…”

Longitudinal description and evaluation of an emergency department avoidance strategy for a youth mass gathering (Schoolies) in Australia

“…It may also reflect shifting locations for Schoolies celebrations to international locations such as Bali, reducing local attendees. The variability in the total number of presentations to emergency healthcare (2011–2014 and 2015–2016) might also reflect the uptake of drug and alcohol awareness programmes that school students are exposed to in the final weeks of their school year 13 and possibly increased parental input 19 . Data from 2011–2014 indicated the PPR was slightly lower than previous studies 9,15 and this was more akin to those reported at music festivals; 20 however, in 2015/2016, the PPR was seen to increase.…”

Parents’ concerns about Leavers celebrations: A cross‐sectional study

“…Despite the strong peer influence upon alcohol consumption, parents are also influential 15 . Parental perceptions of the social norms around young people's alcohol use may allow them to suspend their disapproval of underage drinking 15,16 . Discussions of parental expectations relating to safety and parental disapproval of drinking while at Leavers has been found to be protective of alcohol‐related harm, while parental supply of alcohol was unlikely to be so.…”

“…Parents also reported discussing their expectations of peer support; both providing support to, and being supported by, others. None of the parents interviewed expected their child to abstain from drinking, including those whose child was under the legal age for purchasing alcohol 16 …”

“…None of the parents interviewed expected their child to abstain from drinking, including those whose child was under the legal age for purchasing alcohol. 16 Current research pertaining to Leavers' celebrations tends to focus on school leavers themselves 11,12 and research into the concerns and actions of parents has been limited. 16,17 This paper reports the results of a WA study of parents of Year 12 students (age 17 years), part of a larger sample of parents surveyed for the Supporting Parents to Support Youth project described elsewhere.…”