Over 6 million children live with one or more parents who abuse or are dependent upon drugs or alcohol and about 10 percent of children with an addicted parent are under age 5, according to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. The effects of substance abuse on children range from direct medical problems to developmental issues that may perpetuate the vicious cycle of substance abuse in these children and their future children.
Direct Effects
Alcohol and drugs can have dramatic negative effects on a developing fetus. Cocaine and marijuana have been linked with premature birth, decreased head circumference, brain functioning difficulties and low birth weight, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway. Even if no harmful effects are immediately noticed at a baby's birth, children who were directly exposed to alcohol and some drugs may eventually exhibit problems such as increased irritability, behavioral problems and trouble separating irrelevant stimuli from important information.
Emotional and Developmental Problems
Parental substance abuse increases a child's chance of having emotional problems such as depression, anxiety and psychiatric disorders, the Child Welfare Information Gateway reports. Children of substance abusers are also less likely to bond with their parents, potentially leading them to have trouble trusting other people, learning from others, understanding others' emotions, feeling empathy or remorse, maintaining relationships and having confidence or social skills.
Child Delinquency
Children of drug-abusing parents are at greater risk than their peers for delinquency and poor school performance, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports. Additionally, although parental drug abuse is only one risk factor that may influence a child's future drug use or abstinence, SAMHSA notes, young people with parents who are addicted to illegal drugs or alcohol are four times more likely to become addicted to alcohol and drugs if they eventually choose to use them.
Risk Factors in Children
Although all children of substance-abusing parents are at an increased risk of abusing drugs in the future, children who are associated with drug-abusing peers and children who exhibit poor social skills, poor classroom behavior and academic failure are even more likely to abuse drugs, states the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Some warning signs of these risk factors may be evident in early childhood. If an infant or young child exhibits aggressive behaviors, a difficult temperament or a lack of self-control, he may be more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol in the future.
Reducing Risks
Since parents are their children's primary role models, they should abstain from abusing drugs and alcohol if they expect their children to do the same. The National Institute on Drug Abuse advises that parents who don't abuse drugs or alcohol can reduce their children's chances of abusing them in the future if they: maintain involvement in their children's lives, find ways to bond with their children on a regular basis, establish clear rules about drug use and consistently enforce discipline, .
References
- National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence: Parental Substance Abuse a Major Factor In Child Abuse and Neglect
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Preventing Drug Abuse among Children and Adolescents
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Practice What You Preach
- Child Welfare Information Gateway: How Parental Substance Use Disorders Affect Children
- Merck: Drug Use During Pregnancy
