This study examines the effects of father involvement on alcohol consumption in African American adolescents. A representative sample of 1,027 students was selected from a national longitudinal study of adolescents in grades 7 through 12. Family structure and relationship quality were examined for three groups of fathers: nonresidential fathers, residential fathers, and father figures. The study explores the extent to which a father’s presence and relationship quality serves as protective factors for adolescent alcohol use. The data supports the hypothesis that having a positive father-child relationship decreases the likelihood that an adolescent uses alcohol, and it is a greater deterrent to adolescent alcohol use than family structure. Through this study’s findings, it was determined that a positive child relationship is not dependent on whether or not the father resides in the home.
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