Protecting Children in Families Affected by Substance Use Disorders PDF Download

Author: U.s. Department of Health and Human Services
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781499578881
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 102

Get Book Here

Book Description
The relationship between substance use disorders (SUDs) and child maltreatment is compelling and undeniable. More than eight million children in the United States live with at least one parent who abused or was dependent on alcohol or an illicit drug during the past year. These children face a heightened risk of maltreatment. One study, for example, showed that children of parents with SUDs are nearly three times more likely to be abused and more than four times more likely to be neglected than children of parents who do not abuse substances.According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), in 2006, an estimated 3.3 million referrals were made to child protective services (CPS), representing 6 million children. From this population, approximately 905,000 children were found to be victims of child abuse or neglect. Of the maltreated children, 66.3 percent were neglected (including medical neglect), 16.0 percent physically abused, 8.8 percent sexually abused, and 6.6 percent psychologically maltreated. Additionally, 15.1 percent of victims were associated with “other” types of maltreatment, such as abandonment or congenital drug addiction. A child could be identified as a victim of more than one type of maltreatment. Additionally, while estimates vary, most studies suggest that parental SUDs are a contributing factor for between one- and two-thirds of children involved with CPS.SUDs often affect the way people live, including how they function, interact with others, or parent their children. Studies suggest that SUDs, by impairing parents' judgment and priorities, can infl uence parental discipline choices and child-rearing styles and have negative effects on the consistency of care and supervision provided to children. The time and money parents spend on seeking out or on using drugs or alcohol may limit the resources available in the household to meet their children's basic needs. In addition, families affected by SUDs often experience a number of other problems—including mental illness, domestic violence, poverty, and high levels of stress— which also are associated with child maltreatment.Children of parents who have SUDs and who are also in the child welfare system are more likely to experience emotional, physical, intellectual, and social problems than children whose parents do not have SUDs. Additionally, abused and neglected children from families affected by substance abuse are more likely to be placed in foster care and to remain there longer than maltreated children from families not affected by substance abuse.