Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Rachel Garvey
Aughenbaugh
Academic English 12
06 Feb. 2017
Child Abuse
Alcohol, cocaine, meth, heroin, and weed are fueling this population explosion of
battered and neglected children (Database). Substance abusing parents are more likely to abuse
their children due to their lack of awareness for the child. Parents do not even care or pay
attention to the child, causing physical or mental health issues, along with the physical abuse one
may receive. They are more worried about getting high or drunk then the safety of their child.
The children of substance abusers are commonly scared and walking on eggshells around
their own home because anything can trigger their anger. (Web). In families where alcohol and
drugs are used, the behaviors are unpredictable and communication is very unclear. Cognitive
Disorganized Hypothesis says that alcohol abuse increases the likelihood of violence because it
social cues and perceived treats. (Web.) The substance makes their moods go from loving,
laughing and hanging around everyone to crazy, yelling and sometimes physical abuse in
minutes. Family life is extreme chaos. (Web). The children often blame themselves for their
parents addictions. They start to stress themselves over their grades, the house and any other
major responsibilities, thinking that the slightest thing will make the parent snap. (Web). They
start to resent their parents because they do not care about them like they should. The kids begin
to sit in dirty gross areas everyday. Parents care more about getting the buzz of alcohol and high
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of drugs over the safety and custody of their children. (Califano, 75). They can barely afford or
have the energy to take care of themselves, let alone their child. (Web). All of these issues result
in depression for the child. Many times, children of substance abusers are frightened. They may
be the victims of physical violence or incest. They also witness violence-frequently alcohol goes
hand in hand with domestic violence. And as a result, these youngsters may suffer PTSD, sleep
disturbances, flashbacks, anxiety and depression. (Web). The child may also develop
gastrointestinal disorders, migraines, or asthma. (Web). The children had experienced were
parental discord. Their brain scans show evidence of trauma. (Web). Their parents often fail to
child proof house, have no supervision over the child, lack of shots and other child care. (Web).
Their parents substance abuse, and attitudes may turn the child into a rebellion stage and or
abuse substances in the near future. (Web). Parents abusing alcohol and drugs can lead to a
cycle of addiction, which is reflected by high rates of alcoholism and other substances among
children of addicts. (Web.) Also, if mothers use alcohol and or drugs during their pregnancy,
certain birth defects could occur, such as premature births, brain damages, fetal alcohol spectrum
A devastating tornado of substance abuse and addiction is tearing through the nation's
child welfare and family court systems leaving in its path a wreckage of abuse and neglected
children turning social welfare agencies and courts on their heads and uprooting the traditional
disposition to keep children with their natural parents. (Database). Nine out of ten professionals
say that alcohol is the substance that is the leading cause of child abuse alone. Children whose
parents do use alcohol on a daily basis, a couple drinks a day, are three times more likely to be
physically abused and four times more likely to be neglected and not taken care of. There is an
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incalculable number of broken families, malnourished children, and neglected newborns beaten
or even killed by the alcoholic or crack addicted parents. (Califano, 75-82). Eight million
children live with a parent who is either on drugs or drinking. Studies even show the substance
abuse exists in forty to eighty percent of families in which children are victims of abuse. (Web).
There are many examples that are relevant to this topic. A Bozeman gentleman was
arrested and charged with two counts of child abuse. His 11 year old daughter called 911 stating
her father was drunk and crazy. His wife, son and daughter fled to the neighbors house for
shelter when the man became highly intoxicated. They claim that he tried to strangle the girl
along with making numerous threats to the family. He also slammed the door shut, and locked it
so the boy could not get out of the room while smashing a chair, and unlocking the firearm
cabinet grabbing a few of them out. While talking to the family more situations like such have
occurred repeatedly. The boy said in a past argument his father hit him so hard he almost went
unconscious. (Web.) In another situation, a women in San Luis was in a crash on New Years Eve
with three children in the car. All three children were injured in the wreck but the details of the
injures have not been released. She was under the influence of alcohol with a BAC of .08%. She
Many people believe that child abuse in ones life causes them to grow and treat their
child the same. If they were abused, they are going to abuse. That being the case, many
professionals say that more than likely begin to drink and abuse drugs their whole life leading up
to the adult life. The abuse of those substances could still be the reason or the trigger for the
anger which leads to child abuse. People also try to say that the parent being depressed is the
reason they abuse their child. Alcohol and a few of the other drugs are depressants. They run to
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the alcohol so are more then likely drunk when they are abusing their child or causing discomfort
Substance abuse is a leading factor in child abuse. With all of the other factors others
think, they all lead to the abuse of substances causing child abuse. The parents can not give their
Works Cited
Califano, Joseph A, Jr. Substance Abuse is Responsible for Child Abuse. Child Abuse. Ed.
Califano, Joseph. Substance-Abusing Parents Are More Likely to Abuse Their Children. Child
Abuse. Ed. Jean Leverich. San Diego: Greenhaven, 2006. 75-82. Print.
Child Abuse Linked to Alcoholism, Drug Addiction. Elements Behavioral Health. Addiction
Child Neglect Due to Substance Abuse is on the Rise. Narconon. Narconon International,
Dietrich, Eric. Bozeman Man Charged with Two Child Abuse Felonies after Christmas Day
Fight. Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 27 Dec. 2016. Web. 20 Jan.
2017.
Effects of Parental Substance Abuse on Children and Families. American Academy of Experts
in Traumatic Stress. American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, 2014. Web. 20 Jan
2017.
19 Jan. 2017.
Fountain, Matt. SLO Women Pleads Not Guilty to DUI, Child Abuse in New Year's Eve Car
Crash. The Tribune. The Tribune House, 9 Jan. 2017. Web. 20 Jan. 2017.
Parental Substance Abuse A Major Factor in Child Abuse and Neglect. National Council on
Child Abuse & Family Violence. National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence,
Widom, Cathy. Alcohol Abuse as a Rise Factor for & Consequences of Child Abuse.
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