Half of British parents with children under the age of 14 allow them to drink alcohol at home, according to a new study. One-quarter of those said they see nothing wrong with letting them do so.
The research, conducted by Churchill home insurance, also found that 11 percent of parents with extremely young children – between the ages of five and seven – allow their kids to drink at home.
Of the 1,000 parents surveyed with children under the age of 14 years of age, 34 percent of them said they use alcohol as a bribe to encourage good behavior.
One-quarter of those surveyed said they saw nothing wrong with letting their children drink at home, and almost one-third said that allowing their children to do so means they can monitor their alcohol consumption.
When asked about drinking at family occasions, 57 percent of the parents surveyed said they would allow it to happen, proving that some parents who are against allowing their children to drink on regular occasions would bend the rules in certain cases.
But the study found that parents are also being lenient with other people’s children. One in five parents surveyed said they would allow minors who aren’t family members to drink alcohol in their home.
Responding to the study, Martin Scott, head of Churchill home insurance, noted: “The relationship between children and alcohol in Britain always seems more fraught than for our continental cousins. Many parents want their children to have a responsible attitude to drinking and introduce alcohol in a safe, controlled environment.”
He went on to state, however, that drinking in the home comes with a “greater risk of injury or property damage, as alcohol has a significant impact on co-ordination.”
Although it is not illegal for children as young as five to drink alcohol on private premises, the Chief Medical Officer has warned that those who drink before the age of 14 are at increased risk of health problems, alcohol-related injuries, becoming involved in violence and attempting suicide.