THE IMPACT OF PARENTAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE ON CHILD ABUSE
KidsCampaign (1998), a national foster care organization, reported that of all the recent trends in child welfare, perhaps none has been more troubling than the increase in cases of child abuse and neglect resulting from parental abuse of alcohol and drugs. In this regard, the organization states that nearly 3.1 million American children are, each year, reported to child protective services as abused or neglected; and substance abuse was found to be a factor in a majority of these cases.
It is further reported by the organization that research conducted by the Child Welfare League of America and other organizations have found that substance abuse to be a factor in at least 75 percent of all placements in out-of-home care. It is also noted that:
Eighty percent of states now report that parental abuse of alcohol or drugs is one of the two most common problems in families reported for child maltreatment (p. 1).
The foregoing statistics highlight the need for understanding the problem of parental substance abuse and its general impact on child abuse. The purpose of this paper is to examine the literature on the effects of parental abuse of drugs and alcohol on child abuse. Topics covered in the paper include the historical background of the problem, theoretical perspectives, and prevention and intervention strategies that have been used to remediate the problem. The review ends with a brief summary of the reviewed studies in terms of their personal and professional value to this writer.
In their discussion of parental substance abuse and childhood maltreatment, the National Clearinghouse on Chid Abuse and Neglect Information (1998) stated that interest in the subject has grown increasingly intense over the last 20 years. The increased interest was said to have resulted from several factors. First, medical and professionals were noting that, with increasing f...