By taking these risk factors seriously, parents and teachers can intervene to reduce the likelihood of alcoholism. These risk factors include aggressive behavior as early as first grade, lack of involvement in school, and poor performance in school. Even if intervention doesn t occur until children are adolescents, alcoholism can still be prevented. The most important thing to do is to take these behaviors seriously by becoming more involved in the lives of these at-risk children. Adults can help deter alcoholism by providing a supervised environment in which the child is encouraged to become engaged in a variety of activities, including academics, sports, music, and clubs.
Parental monitoring is very important in preventing alcoholism.
Although alcoholism tends to run in families, family history is not necessarily a determining factor. Currently, researchers are on the way to finding the genes that influence vulnerability to alcoholism. A person's environment, such as the influence of friends, stress levels, and the ease of obtaining alcohol, also may influence drinking and the development of alcoholism. Still other factors, such as social support, may help to protect even high-risk people from alcohol problems. Risk, however, is not destiny.