What happens if a rule is broken?
“When I was in high school, I had one party when my parents went away. They came home early and caught us with alcohol and pot. They lectured me about it, but I didn’t really get in trouble. I was glad they didn’t tell my friends’ parents.”
Sharon, 21, Holtsville, NY
“Typically, the punishment would be that they can’t have anyone over to the house for one week to one month.”
Michael, Montclair, VA, parent of a girl (now 24) and a boy, 12
What kinds of things have happened at teen house parties you’ve heard about or attended?
“Lots of drinking and drinking games. Sometimes there are drugs, too.”
Mandy, 15
“Something would always break and stuff could get stolen. People would have sex and do drugs. As I got older, I saw cocaine and people sometimes did E. People did a lot of pills from their parents’ medicine cabinet, like Vicodin and Valium.”
Sharon, 21
“I never had a party at my place, but I went to friends’ houses. Some parents were okay with drinking as long as we didn’t drink and drive.”
David, 22, Falls Church, VA
What's the worst thing that ever happened at a house party you hosted or attended and what was the outcome?
“I know of a girl who was drinking at a party and wound up in the hospital because people thought she had alcohol poisoning. At the hospital, they found out she’d been given a date rape drug.”
Mandy, 15
“When our daughter was in high school, she had a party while my wife and I were out of town. A guy got drunk and threw up on the floor. After that, she couldn’t have anyone over to the house for the rest of the semester.”
Michael
“I attended a house party with my son and the kids started diving in the pool. There was a lot of electrical equipment around and I got nervous and got my kids out. Shortly afterward, a speaker fell into the pool. That was the end of house parties for me!”
Genma, Hermitage, TN, parent of a girl, 16, and two boys, 17 and 21