by Debbie Paulsen

Created on: October 27, 2008

There have been extensive research and studies investigating the correlations between alcohol use, and child abuse. These investigations have been funded at state, and government levels, as well as independently by many universities of higher learning. The findings concluded very similar results by an overwhelming preponderance. The general consensus is a resounding yes, there are definite and direct correlations between alcohol use and child abuse .

Among the conclusions of studies (Harter and Taylor 2000) It is accepted that consuming alcohol is known to impair judgement, and lower inhibitions. It follows it is common sense that these would not be optimal mental conditions in which to care for a child. Studies further indicate that children, within households that have a parent(s) with an active alcohol addiction, are more likely to be malnourished, and exhibit a higher probability of developing alcohol and/or substance abuse problems of their own in the future.(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999). A study conducted by the National Center on Child Abuse, found that eighty five percent of the States, within the United states reported that substance abuse was one of the two major problems exhibited by families in which maltreatment was suspected (National Center on Child Abuse Prevention Research, 2001).

Further studies have shown that alcohol abuse increases the likelihood of violence, because alcohol induced impairment can interfere with communication between family members, Miller and his colleagues called this the Cognitive Disorganization Hypothesis. Another point, made in this same study, was The Deviance Disavowal Hypothesis. This is when the alcohol influenced parent blames the actions or event on the alcohol, and lessens their own blame. (Miller and colleagues (1997).

The bad news for these children does not end there. It was found that children, with a father who has an alcohol problem, were more likely to be abused by a family member in the home. These same studies proved, that if the mother was the parent with the alcohol problem, the children, especially daughters, were at higher risks of abuse from someone outside of the family. Often, these cases involved sexual abuse.(Fleming and colleagues (1997)

Evidence strongly indicates that the occurrence of addiction and abuse is a vicious cycle. Multiple studies have indicated that the children of these abuses often develop alcohol and substance abuse problems of their own later in life. Unwittingly, the abused ofeten become the abusers in the next cycle. There is no easy solution or answer to the growing problem. Fighting a substance addiction, whether alcohol or drugs is a difficult battle. there are ghosts from the past that need to be exorcised before true healing. These ghosts from the past need to be exorcised, and laid to rest.

for additional resources: http://www.pubs.niaaa.nhih.gov/publications/arh25-1/ 52-57.htm

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