Effects of Parental Alcoholism and Children - Essay Example

Effects of Parental Alcoholism and Children Introduction The key factor that is indispensable for a healthy and close knit family life is good communication among all the members within the family. If this is absent, then life in the family will be strained and devoid of harmony and understanding. If proper communication, verbal or non – verbal is missing, then the members of the family suffer, each in their own corner from boredom, disgust, guilt, fear and apprehension. Each and every human being dreams of having a loving and close knit family. In order to fulfill this dream every member within the family should be at peace with each and never in fear in order to enjoy better rapport and communication with each other thereby creating strong bonds between themselves. But sometimes there are underlying factors that spoil the harmony within the family reducing it to a shambles. One such contributing factor is Alcohol and drug abuse which we are going to discuss in detail to see what impact it has on all aspects of the family with special focus on the growth and development of children. An estimated 6.6 million children under the age of 18 years live in households with at least one alcoholic parent. (Russell M;Henderson, C.; and Blume, S.B., 1984) Our modern day society is faced with the scourge of one of the greatest menaces being Alcohol and drug abuse. The addiction creeps upon them so insidiously that at most times people are not even aware of it. The adverse effects of Alcohol abuse are far reachable and deteriorating especially within families where children have to face the ugly brunt. Scientific research has proved time and again that parental drinking has a major impact on the growth and development of children leading them to early bouts of depression in their childhood which in turn grossly lowers their IQ and cognitive skills. Studies have shown that abused children of alcoholic parents suffer immensely with low confidence and self esteem and never seem to get over it even in their adulthood. While some research studies show that children of Alcoholics (COAs) do suffer a lot of negative consequences there are other studies that suggest that many children do not experience serious problems due to parental alcohol abuse. In a longitudinal study conducted on the island of Kauai involving COAs born there, Werner reported that ‘although 41% of the children developed serious coping problems by 18 years of age, 59% did not develop problems.’(Werner, E.E.; 1986) According to him, these children possessed great resilient characteristics that included having the ability to gain positive attention from other people in their environment, good communication skills, a burning desire to achieve though with average intelligence and an attitude of caring and depending on self – help. Our study is going to examine those areas of parental alcohol abuse in close relation of the adverse effects it has on children where their growth and development is concerned. Parental Drinking and its effects on the Fetus Alcohol abuse has a drastic effect on the child even while it is a fetus in the mother’s womb and harms the child adversely by damaging the growth of the cells in the fetus. This condition is termed as ‘fetal alcohol spectrum disorder” (FASD) and describes the wide range of the effects of alcohol on the unborn child. These effects could be mental or physical or sometimes involve both which leave ugly scars for the rest of the child’s life and in many cases the child is unable to overcome these effects. How safe is alcohol consumption during pregnancy? Any amount of alcohol whether little or plenty affects an unborn child. FASD can be prevented by a pregnant mother not touching alcohol at all because when a pregnant mother consumes alcohol, her baby does so too. No studies have proved that it is safe for pregnant mothers to drink. On the other hand studies in research have proved that alcohol drinking by pregnant mothers have affected their babies in different ways and sometimes even beyond repair. It is highly recommended that parental drinking especially during pregnancy should be avoided at all costs to avoid its worst effects. Bad Effects of Alcohol on the Fetus Birth Defects Alcohol abuse of any kind should be essentially avoided during pregnancy because it may result in miscarriages, premature born or still birth. Other disastrous effects on children include disproportionate or odd facial features – for e.g. flat face, tiny head, or narrow eyes (slits) that becomes more obvious when the child reaches the age of about 2 or 3 years. Sometimes a flattened groove could occur between the nose and the upper lip (philtrum) Growth is generally stunted of children who are exposed to parental alcoholic abuse being much smaller than any other normal child of the same age. Though these defects are obvious when the child is small, it tends to wane away as the child goes into its teens. Problems related to Learning and Behavior In an ultrasound test the doctor is capable of finding out defects in the child before it is born, by checking for FAS (Fetal alcohol Syndrome) but defects in learning and behavior cannot be detected till the child attends school. Early detection of FAS and immediate treatment would provide and ideal chance for the child to achieve his maximum potential in life. Babies who are seriously affected through parental drinking experience severe irritability and may have problems during feeding. They may also experience difficulty in bonding with the parent or their caregivers. Detecting the problem at an early stage would prevent problems in the school and later on in life as the child grows which include depression, anxiety and in turn substance abuse. Problems in the Central Nervous System Children who are exposed to alcoholic parents suffer greatly especially if their Central Nervous System is damaged. These children experience developmental delays and lack skills that require muscle power and coordination. Children who are exposed to alcohol before birth may experience body tremors, weak hand grip and also an impaired hand – eye coordination. Factors that affect the Fetus depend on: The impact of an alcoholic abusive mother on the growing fetus in her womb depends on many other factors that contribute to the problem. The severity of the impact depends largely on the amount of alcohol consumption or in take of other drugs or habit of smoking practiced. Another factor that has a drastic impact on the unborn child is the health of the mother during pregnancy. Poor health on the part of an alcoholic mother means greater risk and bigger problems for the child. Some fetuses are more prone to be harmed by alcohol more than others for reasons not clearly known. Physicians consider it to be a genetic factor. An alcoholic mother under medication for poor health spells worse problems for the child. Many a times these problems could scar the child for life. In the case of genetic disorders, it is very likely that the child could develop similar traits from the parent. In addition, genetic studies indicate that alcoholism tends to run in families and that a genetic vulnerability for alcoholism exists. (Kaij, L. 1960; Cloninger C.R.; Bohman, M.; and Sigvardsson, S., 1981; Goodwin, D.W.; Schulsinger, F.; Hermansen, L.; Guze, S.B.; and Winokur, G, 1973) Other Consequences of Alcohol That Endanger the Life of Children Some parents are so irresponsible that they put the lives of their innocent children and other family members on the line when they engage in driving under the influence of alcohol. Drinking and driving is a grievous offence, that though capable of prevention still continues to be a menace that tragically affects thousands of people each passing year by maiming or death. Driving under the influence of alcohol is totally preventable but unfortunately fatalities continue to take place because of the irresponsibility involved. Driving while intoxicated is extremely dangerous and those conforming to it are at a great risk of serious injury, accidents and many times death which not only involve themselves but their children. The following are the statistics for deaths due to drunken driving. During 2005, 16,885 people in the US died in alcohol related crashes which represents about 39% of all traffic-related deaths (NHTSA 2006). 2005, saw around 1.4 million drivers arrested for being under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. (Department of Justice, 2005) In 2005, about 48 children under the age of 14 and younger were killed as pedestrians or pedal cyclists were struck by impaired drivers (NHTSA 2006). More than half of the 414 child passengers ages 14 years and younger who died in alcohol-related crashes during 2005 were riding with the drinking driver (NHTSA 2006). Children suffer emotional trauma if their alcoholic parents get involved with the law for drunken driving because the parent may lose his job and so income to meet the family’s expenses such as school fees, transport and food would be lost. To add to this the parents would have to cough up the high insurance premiums which may go up to five times the original amount. In lieu of such a situation, the children are penalized and traumatized in many different ways that may leave them emotionally shattered and not capable of trusting their parents again. Alcoholism and Child Maltreatment Strong links have been found between alcohol use and child maltreatment. The effects are well pronounced when alcohol consumption is either hazardous or harmful. Various studies have been conducted on the effect of parental alcohol abuse on children and it has been established that alcohol is a major contributor to child maltreatment. A fact also established by these studies is that maltreated children often grow up to abuse alcohol in their adult life. Parents indulging in alcohol abuse suffer from mental depression hence they are not emotionally available for their children. There is a co-existence between parental alcohol abuse and parental mental disorder. The risk for children being maltreated greatly increases if the parent has antisocial personality Disorders (ASPD) as it is strongly associated with alcohol misuse. Such families exhibit characteristics of poor functioning. The parents have aggressive behavior and indulge in frequent bouts of violence such as beating up other family members, breaking things in the house, using of foul language and causing harm to both themselves and others around them. The consumption of alcohol increases aggression as has been found by many studies. Male partners, who abuse alcohol, have the potential to heighten family conflict. They also contribute to the physical abuse of the child. Parents who are under the constant influence of alcohol may not be able to express parental feelings of love and warmth. It also influences the level of supervision provided to the child. Poor supervision and parenting model in turn impacts on peer relationship. Children coming from families where there is alcohol abuse and parental maltreatment engage in deviant behavior and have association with deviant peer groups. Parents with alcohol problems become inattentive to the needs of their children as all their energies are focused on drinking and misbehaving with anti- social behavior. They fail to give their children the requisite love, care and affection and begin to neglect them. They are unable to carry out their responsibilities and duties towards their children. In such cases parental judgment is impaired under the influence of alcohol and this gives rise to such a situation where children may be at risk of being neglected intermittently or chronically. Verbal abuse is also indulged in by parents under the influence of alcohol. This leads to emotional and psychological trauma in the children. Parental misuse of alcohol can adversely affect relationships within a family. These factors impact the child directly which leads to developmental problems. The areas that are easily affected are psychological, cognitive, social and emotional. Children taking part in studies revealed that they experienced social exclusion. The impact of parental alcohol abuse gave the children a feeling of being lonely, having low self-worth and made them feel less loved. The children in turn had to take on additional responsibility of taking care of the parent who abused alcohol. Harmful alcohol consumption by parents plays a direct role in child maltreatment. Harmful use of alcohol is defined as a pattern of alcohol use that causes damage to health. Hazardous alcohol use is defined as a pattern of alcohol use, that increases the risk of harmful consequences for the user (World Health Organization) There is a strong link between violence in general and alcohol (WHO). Various researches have claimed that there is a strong relationship between alcohol abuse and child maltreatment. It can directly affect the cognitive and physical functioning of the person (WHO). The influence of alcohol also reduces a person’s self control and makes them more violent than they normally are, even towards children. When parents become alcohol abusers they neglect their responsibilities and they have less time and money to give to the child. This sometimes leads to neglect in fulfilling a child’s basic needs (WHO). The child is also abused physically and these injuries include burns, fractures and bruises. There are also stress related sleep disorders and in some cases the injury is quite fatal. There has been seen some differences in the pattern of abuse between different cultures. Psychological distress such as fear, attempted suicide and depression are reported not only in childhood but also carries on through adult life (44). Victims of child abuse also display violent tendencies towards their own self in adult life. It can be inferred that child maltreatment leads to alcohol problems can pass on from one generation to another. A maltreated child’s education is also affected due to poor school attendance. This leads the child to get poor grades and hampers their educational progress which in turn retards their job prospects. They are relegated to doing low paid jobs and often get caught in the lower strata of society because they lack motivation and self confidence in life. Parents are role models for children and any deviation in normal behavior patterns creates stress for the child. It adversely affects the overall growth and development of youngsters and often leaves indelible scars on their psyche. Alcoholism has genetic and environmental causes and data shows that more than 28 million Americans are children of alcoholics; nearly 11 million are under the age of 18 (National Association for Children of Alcoholics). These figures cause alarm because alcoholism tends to run in families, but more alarming is the fact that alcoholism gives rise to conflict in families, leads to emotional or physical violence, decreases family organization; increases family isolation; and slowly leads to work related problems which culminate in marital strain and financial problems; and frequent family moves. ( el Guebaly, N. & Offord, D.R. (1997).) In the case of single parent households, the problem acquires greater significance since there is no supporting adult to defuse potentially volatile situations. Child abuse has taken on epidemic proportions and more than one million children are certified as victims of this shameful epidemic. (Lung, C. T. and D. Daro. 1996). Children undergo mental, emotional and physical suffering and are regularly neglected, since the alcohol acts as a disinhibitor and reduces control over impulses. Parents in this condition are prone to bouts of abusiveness (Bijur, P.E., M. Kurzon, M.D. Overpeck, and P.C. Scheidt. 1992). A study of the parent’s family history often reveals that they grew in disruptive homes, lacking appropriate role models in the family (Behling, D.W. 1979). A child coming from an abusive family often suffers from guilt and blames himself for the parent’ problem. These children suffer maltreatment but their chances of being abusive are also high. They also show reduced tendency in forming long term relationships. But one of the greatest dangers is their inability to trust legitimate authority, since they have a fear that the parent’s illegal actions may be exposed. The pattern of abuse takes on an ominous cyclical nature because of the stigma attached in the reporting of such problems, and the fear that complaints may not be accepted as true. A child growing in an abusive environment begins to treat this digression as normal behavior and is apt to repeat it in adulthood. The greatest danger that children face at the hands of alcoholic parents is an increased chance of abuse. Since 1986 child welfare professionals have cited alcoholism as one of the prime reasons for the dramatic rise in child maltreatment ( Reid, J., Macchetto, P., & Foster, S. (1999).) A child from an abusive family is an extra burden on welfare and health costs since their average stay is 24% and 29% greater than for children of non-alcoholic parents and at least 70-90% of welfare spending goes towards the care of children from such families. These children also show signs of substance abuse and other mental disorders Children of Alcoholics Foundation, 1990 Children hospitalized for psychiatric disorder were half the time from families with a pattern of alcohol abuse (Rivinus, T.M., Levoy, D., Matzko, M., & Seifer, R. (1992).) Poor IQ Scoring Many studies were conducted comparing the two groups – the COAs and the non COAs and results showed that they differed a lot in a wide variety of psychosocial areas. Differences were also found in the IQ and cognitive performance. Verbal scores were quite low for children coming from homes of alcoholic parents than children coming from non- alcoholic homes. Researchers found that poor cognitive functions were so important in the life of the child to help them cope and adapt themselves to every stage of development they pass through. Drawing comparisons between COAs and non – COAs coming from well educated families, Bennett and colleagues (Bennett, L.A; Wolin, S.J.; and Reiss, D. (1988) found that children from alcoholic families had lower IQ, arithmetic, reading, and verbal scores. But they also found that despite these lower scores, the intelligence range for the COAs were within normal range in the intelligence tests conducted in each of these studies. In another study conducted by Johnson and Rolf (Johnson, J.L., & Rolt, J.E. 1988) for children of both COAs and non- COAs who were coming from non- disadvantaged backgrounds, the academic abilities and cognitive function were compared and the results showed that no major differences were found. Another important point noticed by the investigators was that children whose parents were alcohol abusers had a lower self esteem and underestimated their own competence and in addition to this, even the mothers of such children underestimated their own children’s capabilities. Hence, such perceptions on the part of both the mother and the child could lead to poor self- esteem, poor motivation and lower performance in the future. Children who have alcoholic parents and who begin going to school often face a lot of academic problems. School records indicate that COAs experience such academic difficulties as repeating grades, failing to graduate from high school, and requiring referrals to school psychologists. (Miller, D., & Jang, M. 1977; KNOP, J.; Teasdale, T.W.; Schulsinger, F.; and Goodwin D.W. 1985) Other contributing factors towards poor motivation and academic performance are the ever present stressful atmosphere at home. Children of alcohol dependent parents, have a greater chance of entering foster care, while 79% of adolescent runaways and homeless youth come from homes where the parent has a drinking problem. Depression and depressive symptoms as well as anxiety disorders are also rampant among such children. (Earls, F., Reich, W., Jung, K.G., & Cloninger, C.R. (1988) Apart from this, these children have a greater risk of psychiatric and psychosocial dysfunction, and their chances of becoming alcoholics , later in life is significant.( West, M.O. & Printz, R.J. (1987) In a comparative study of children of alcoholics (aged 6-1 7 years) with children of psychiatrically healthy medical patients, it was found that ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) manifested itself markedly more in children from abusive families. (Earls, R, Reich, W., Jung, K.G., & Cloninger, C.R. (1998) Further research reveals that children coming from such a background tend to exhibit low self esteem, decreased social adequacy, lack of empathy for others and lack of control over the environment (Jones, M.C. ,1968) . Academically also, a child from an alcoholic abusive background suffers not only physically but psychologically. In a Peabody Individual Achievement Test-Revised (PIAT-R) to see achievement in scholastics, including general information, reading recognition, reading comprehension, total reading, mathematics and spelling , sons of addicted parents fared poorly (Moss, H.B et al). These children play truant from school and are likely to give up school altogether. The chances of them being referred to the school psychologist are also more. (Sher, K.J. 997). A mother who gives up alcohol in the early stages of pregnancy is less likely to deliver children with lower cognitive performance (Gabrielli, W.F., & Mednic, S.A. ,1983) Pregnant women who take in alcohol have chances that their child may be born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and it is one of the biggest causes of mental retardation in the western world (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.1993 ) Around 4000-12000 infants exhibit physical and intellectual disabilities due to FAS (SAMHSA, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, 1993 The At Risk Group It is not an easy matter to make an accurate estimate of children who are affected by Parental Alcohol abuse and domestic abuse. But according to (Cleaver et al. 1999, Tunnard 2002, Templeton et al. 2006) the number of children affected by the single issue of parental alcohol problems is currently between 300,000 and 2.5 million. The results of research have shown that approximately one in four women suffer under domestic abuse at some juncture in the life span, and “children face double the risk of domestic abuse than women without children.” (Walby and Allen 2004). A national prevalence study of young people's experiences of domestic abuse (n=2869) found that 26% had witnessed violence between their parents at least once with 5% reporting that it was ongoing and frequent (Cawson 2002). Therefore, children living in an alcohol prone area which is supposed to be a safe environment get negatively affected through their alcoholic parents by domestic abuse. Reports given by both researchers as well as other professional go to show that both the problems of alcohol abuse and domestic abuse usually overlap each other. The results of this overlapping suggests “that children are exposed to, or caught up in, the effects of parental alcohol problems and domestic abuse which may place them at higher risk of harm and present child protection concerns (Cleaver et al. 1999, Galvani 2005, Templeton et al. 2006). The Gender and Ethnic Aspect Consumption of any kind is a shameful act. Due to some cultural beliefs domestic abuse can be ignored. This can be done in case if the perpetrator is a family member or if it conforms to any specific gender. ‘Izzat’ or family pride is a dominating feature in South Asian communities and this ‘izzat’ has to be protected and preserved at all cost. Upholding it is considered to be the responsibility of the female members of the family even though it is portrayed to be the duty of both the sexes (Mullender et al. 2002). In such communities it has been found that home is the haven to get away from racial harassment (Mullender et al. 2002). So the choice of leaving home becomes difficult as fleeing from home to avoid religious condemnation and violence makes the victim vulnerable to racial abuse in the outside world. It becomes a choice between racial harassment or domestic abuse. It is thus very essential for practitioners to be sensitive about the cultural background and respond accordingly to their experiences. They have to deal with both the child and the parent by keeping their ethnic background in consideration. It therefore requires the managers and commissioners to make clear their objectives that the service provision should meet the requirements of both the abused child and the parent suffering alcohol problems. The majority of the domestic or alcohol abuse services do not meet the said requirements as they are dominated by individualistic services. Parenting and Alcohol Project - Children's responses Every child’s response to the problem they face, due to the alcohol problem of their parents is different. It has been found that siblings within the same family react differently to the same problem. This difference in reaction is influenced by many factors such as the age of the child, their level of maturity and the severity of the harm (see Cleaver et al.1999 for further details). The environment also contributes to the differing reactions of the abused child. Since children are very resilient, they can at most times counter balance the negative effects of the abuse. The resilience in the child can be both internal and external. In case of external resilience the child can have positive thoughts of the future. Where the external factor is concerned the child can have a relationship outside the home with supportive peers or adults. The key factor in helping a child cope with harmful experiences and minimizing potential harm is by building up their resilience. Not only should the child be taken care of, but the needs of the parents should be addressed. The practitioner should raise the concern about the child’s safety with the concerned agency and also with the parent. The practitioner should also be equipped to offer resources so that the child can escape from both the abuse and violence. This should be done because evidence showed that problems arising out of negative experience are considerably reduced once the child is taken away from the perpetrator of violence. The following are the negative effects of parental alcohol problems and domestic abuse involving children. Alcohol Problems Domestic Abuse Stigmatized in society and social isolation Stigmatized in society and social isolation Emotional neglect and abuse Emotional neglect and abuse Behavioral changes with problems Behavioral changes with problems Spectrum Disorder – FASD and damage Damage to fetus due to physical abuse to Fetus because of heavy drinking. Psychological problems Psychological problems Fear and anxiety in the child Fear and anxiety in the child Disrupted routine and leisure time Disrupted routine and leisure time Poor self esteem and confidence Poor self esteem and confidence Attachment to parents is disrupted Conflicting loyalties towards them Conflicts in the adult relationships Conflicts in the adult relationships Prone to repeat in adulthood Prone to repeat in adulthood Safeguarding Children against Parental Alcohol Abuse - Different Policies. As the problems of the alcoholic parents increase in complexity, children are at a greater risk of being scarred for life. Therefore it is imperative to get professional help immediately. Some of policy frameworks that help to deal with children affected by the overlapping of parental alcohol abuse and domestic abuse spans over many specific areas. In addition to the health and criminal justice policies there are four separate policy levels to be considered – International, national, local and agency. Interventions for Alcoholic Adults Different professionals should identify the various risks involved because of their alcohol abuse and domestic violence during the adult intervention. Depending on whether the parent is the perpetrator or the victim, the social worker would either challenge or support the person respectively. The social worker would explore the extent of abuse within the family with special focus on the children and make a clear assessment of things to see how far the parents are aware of their destructive behavior and what they are going to do to remedy the situation. In case the social worker feels that the child is at great risk, they would identify every concern and take action through an agency. They would refer the child to a specialist who would lend full support to help the child regain stability both physically and mentally through the specialist intervention process. They conduct discussions with the abusing parent and point out the suffering within the family and offer solutions while pointing out how the habit disrupts the family and adversely affects the children. They take the parent into confidence and point out how the family is when they drink and when they are sober. They would also furnish the parent with a lot of relevant information about the available agencies, important leaflets and websites too. Family and Children Interventions The social worker questions the other family members and the children to see if they understand the situation they are in and the risk they are facing. They lend full support to the family by counseling them and discussing with them the course of action to be taken. They assess the situation well and advise them how to protect themselves well. They also offer good intervention services by referring them to different agencies to take proper care of them. Children are handled by different specialist to reduce their trauma, anxiety and restore back the lost faith in their parents. The adult alcohol abusers are advised about how they are putting their family members at risk. Both the parents as well as the children are educated on the truths and myths of alcohol abuse. Relevant information is passed on about the different agencies and specialists who could help to bring them back to a more normal and happier life. Conclusion Life is not a bed of roses in a family of alcohol abusers – in fact it is a misery to have to cope in that condition. Parents who are irresponsible and do not care enough for their family are they ones who engage in this dangerous game. Alcoholic parents hardly notice what they are doing to their families and could go to any extent to satisfy their urge to drink. They are oblivious of the pain and the trauma their loved ones are undergoing just for their sakes. Timely interventions with good social workers and agencies to help these families have become indispensable in such situations. Most children are resilient and get over the trauma as soon as they begin to receive treatment in the form of various interventions. But there is a section of children who are unable to cope or get over it because of their weakness and fall a prey to these very same things in their own adulthood. Agencies of different kinds are a real boon to such families to help them get over their bad habit and at the same time help them bond again with their families and lives happy and peaceful lives. References Alcohol Effects on a Fetus www.health.yahoo.com/pregnancy-complication/alcohol-effects-on-a-fetus/ Bijur, P.E., M. 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Chicago, Illinois: Prevent Child Abuse America Miller, D., & Jang, M. Children of alcoholics: A 20-year longitudinal study. Social Work Research & Abstracts 13:23-29, 1977. (11) Knop, J.; Teasdale, T.W.; Schulsinger, F.; and Goodwin D.W. A prospective study of young men at high risk for alcoholism: School behavior and achievement. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 46(4):273-278, 1985. Moss, H.B., Vanyukov, M., Majumder, P.P., Kirisci, L., & Tarter, R.E. (1995). Pre-pubertal sons of substance abusers: influences of parental and familial substance abuse on behavioral disposition, IQ, and school achievement. Addictive Behaviors, 20 (3), 345-358. National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.1993. Eighth special report to U.S. Congress on alcohol and health. (March):221. Reid, J., Macchetto, P., & Foster, S. (1999). No Safe Haven: Children of Substance-Abusing Parents. 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