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Understanding alcohol use onset among young adolescents is critical in identifying their perceptions, socialization, and decision making that will assist in prevention efforts. This study examined children's beliefs about alcohol. We conducted focus groups with 18 youths in grades 3 through 8 to explore their views about (1) the risk and protective factors of underage drinking and (2) the consequences of alcohol use. Findings suggest that youths' perceptions of media content, use of family members as verbal and behavioral referents, non-family member adults' alcohol use, and peer factors are concomitant processes that youths consider in formulating beliefs about alcohol use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substance use is one of the major social problems facing youth today. The research on risk factors associated with onset and continuation of use is extensive. Typically, reviews of the literature categorize risk factors by environmental domain (i.e., family, peer relations, neighborhoods). This review extends this framework by examining studies that focus on the changing nature of risk factors for substance use among teenagers. The underlying assumption is that, especially during adolescence, these relations are dynamic and shift across time. Five time-related mechanisms are identified and used to describe the research. The article concludes with a discussion about the implications for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]