In Early Deviance and Related Risk Factors in the Children of Narcotic Addicts, Nurco, Blatchley, Hanlon and OÆGrady (1999) report the results of a meta-analysis on the self-reported behaviors of 285 male and female adolescents (ages 12-17) of narcotic addicted parents participating in methadone programs. The results of the self-report measures found that ôearly deviance is related to current adolescent drug and alcohol use, association with deviant peers, a negative view of self, and psychological symptomatologyö (Nurco et al. 1999, 25).
There are a number of risks and protective factors the researchers found associated with deviance in children in the form of drug or alcohol use and other criminal behavior. A number of family or home environment factors appear to play the largest role in manifesting deviance in children. This is particularly true with children of addicts who remain at high-risk for developing deviant behaviors. Substance abuse problems are one of the most common deviant behaviors in children of such populations. There are a number of factors the researchers found indicative of increased risk in these children of addicted parents: family deviance, early deviant activity, precocious substance use, and attraction to deviant peers (Nurco et al. 1999, 41).
All of the above factors interfere in the developmental process in ways that can lead to problem behaviors in adolescence and early adulthood, such as serious addiction or criminal behavior. Nurco (et al. 1999) have concluded that specific aspects of family functioning are high predictors of the development of deviant behavior in children of drug addicted parents. These aspects of family function involve parent-child interactions that are defined by a lack of closeness, poor or inconsistent discipline by parents, and a low level or lack of adequate monitoring or supervision of childrenÆs activities (Nurco et al. 1999). In contrast to the
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