The child welfare system considers alcohol use and abuse among caregivers of children to be a serious problem that tends to fuel abuse, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway. Children whose parents have problems with alcohol are more likely to be placed into the child welfare system and remain in the system for an extended period of time.
Basics
According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, research shows that children who grow up in households with substance abuse are more likely to experience abuse or neglect than are children raised in non-substance-abusing households. The website HelpGuide suggests that parents who abuse alcohol are less able to care for their children and to make good safe decisions on their behalf.
Signs and Symptoms
According to HelpGuide, various types of child abuse can surface as a result of parental alcohol consumption, including emotional abuse, physical abuse, neglect and sexual abuse. Signs of emotional abuse include constant fear or being withdrawn, extremes in behavior, lack of attachment to a caregiver and a tendency to act either overly adult or like a baby. Physical abuse can appear through unexplained bruises or injuries, shying away from being touched, fear of going home and an appearance that the child is waiting for something bad to happen. Signs of neglect include ill-fitting or dirty clothes, poor hygiene, untreated illnesses or injuries, many school absences and being left alone often. Sexual abuse can be occurring if the child has trouble walking or sitting, displays knowledge of sex that is inappropriate for her age, tries to avoid a certain person, does not like to remove her clothes, tests positive for an STD, becomes pregnant before the age of 14 or runs away.
Significance
Alcohol tends to be a contributing factor in child abuse. When there is alcohol abuse in the home, the children's basic needs--including proper nutrition, supervision and emotional response--can go unmet, and the possibility of physical abuse increases, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway. Women who consume alcohol during pregnancy can have children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. These disorders can cause metal, physical, and learning disabilities, and currently affect more than 40,000 babies born each year.
Considerations
It is important to remember that alcohol use can lead to forms of child abuse, but child abuse also can lead to alcohol abuse for the child. According to the Oxford Journals, child abuse can influence the development of many dysfunctional behaviors, and alcohol use disorders are among the most significant resulting problem behaviors.
Getting Help
If you feel alcohol consumption is causing abuse within your home, there is help. According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, there are a variety of mentoring and coaching programs to help people develop parenting skills and reduce their alcohol consumption. Also, there are many treatment programs focused on alcohol use and developing good family connections. To deal with the consequences of child abuse, your children might benefit from intensive individual and/or family therapy. If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child.
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