Effects of Parental Drug Abuse on Children Essay

Words: 1732
Pages: 7
Open Document
Heather Swenson
Mandy Jesser
English Composition I
1 May 2013
Effects of Parental Drug Abuse on Their Children

As soon as birth, children are exposed to new things; new life experiences that will develop the path of which direction their life will take. Adolescence is the most important time in a child’s life because it is where they learn appropriate behavior from their family and the outside world. Some children are able to use these experiences to differentiate at an early age what is right and what is wrong and hopefully carry this into adulthood. What happens when children are exposed to the wrong experiences at an early age? What happens if children assume that what they are seeing is okay because one of their parents are …show more content…
Child abuse is a prevalent symptom of parental addiction. More children are abused by a parent that is under the influence of a substance then those who are not. It is estimated that 70 percent of all reported child abuse occurrences stem from parental substance abuse.(Child Abuse and Neglect Statistics) Children will often cover up incidents of child abuse by their parent in an attempt to cover the parent’s addiction because of the fear that it was their fault for not doing something correctly. Another effect parental substance abuse has on a child’s well-being is the state their physical health. Many children suffer from severe stress because of their parent’s addiction. The stress often leads a child to suffer from “gastrointestinal issues, headaches, migraines, asthma or other chronic illnesses.”(Effects of Parental Substance Abuse) The stress that was caused by my ex-husband’s addiction caused my oldest son to develop mono and he was very sick for several months. Due to the lack of care on the part of the addicted parent, these conditions are usually left untreated, causing long-term health issues for the child. Children are often affected by their parent’s drug abuse in other ways that harm their physical well-being. Addicted parents often spend copious amounts of money on the substance they are addicted to. This causes a family to have little to no money for basic hygiene products or food for that matter. Children of addicts often appear
Show More

Related Documents: Effects of Parental Drug Abuse on Children Essay

Parenting Styles

Parenting Styles and Substance Abuse There are two drastically diverse types of parenting styles that contribute to adolescent substance use and abuse. On one side of the continuum, parents play the role of the adolescent’s overinvolved coach. These parents push and force their children into doing things they may not particularly want to do by using strict procedures and regulations. However, on the other side of the continuum, parents play the role of the adolescent’s friend, rather than parent…

Words 1453 - Pages 6

Substance Abuse Research Paper

Substance abuse is a major public health concern that affects not just the users themselves, but also the user’s family members and friends. Substance abuse disorder comprises a wide variety of behaviors that include addiction, excessive usages, and dangerous substance-induced behavior. It is also associated with a large variety of harmful consequences to the addict themselves as well as other people within their inner circle such as their children. Findings for this paper suggests that children of substance-abusing…

Words 1821 - Pages 8

Incarcerated Parent Research Paper

The Lingering Collateral Effects for the Adult Child of an Incarcerated Parent According to Harris, Graham & Carpenter (2010), the United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world. Political and legal developments are the response to the “war on drugs” that have created harsh drug laws and mass incarceration (Glaze & Maruschak, 2008). The past thirty years has produced a 500 percent increase in incarceration, and women being incarcerated at rates comparable to men (Radosh, 2008)…

Words 645 - Pages 3

Research Paper

of the nineteenth century was like.” So how does someone become an alcoholic? This has to do with a combination of genetic, physiological, psychological and social factors. Research have discovered that children of alcoholics are four times more likely to become alcoholics themselves. Children of alcoholic parents are raised in the environment where drinking is okay and they tend to pick up the drinking habit from their parents. According to drinlaware.co.uk, on the physiological side, alcohol alters…

Words 1766 - Pages 8

Essay about Parental Guidence

43 23 May 2013 Parental Guidance The role of being a parent is an essential one that requires a firm commitment to protect, nurture, care and love your child. Some parents take on the role of becoming a friend to their child which, in some cases, may work especially if it allows your child to feel comfortabe enough to have confience in you with the various uncertainties that may come along with parenthood. The dialog between you and your child in making decisions to avoid drugs, alcohol, abusive…

Words 2035 - Pages 9

Pre-Dependent Parents Model Substance Abuse

before the actual divorce. The process of pre-divorce comes with unfavorable factors for children. Some factors are: negative role modeling of the parents, physical and emotional abuse sustained during the pre-divorce period, and inadequate relationships with one or both parents. Role modeling of the parents is impaired during a divorce, which impacts the child. Substance dependent parents model substance abuse as a last-resort coping skill when all others have been exhausted. Family management undergoes…

Words 958 - Pages 4

Juvenile Delinquency Crisis Essay

2014 Juvenile crime has increased dramatically over the past couple decades. There is much speculation of the reasons as to why juvenile delinquency is becoming such a big problem. Child neglect and lack of parental control, boredom, lack of interference with delinquent children, drug abuse, and living in a poor environment happen to be valid theories that support why juvenile criminal behavior is becoming a national epidemic. With this information, one can gather ways to combat juvenile delinquency…

Words 1469 - Pages 6

DRUG MISUSE Essay

Abstract Drug misuse is overflowing in many nations. Billions of dollars are used universally in order to prevent Drug misuse, treating addicts, and battling medication related wrongdoing. Drug abuse causes multiple problems for countries and communities. The medical and psychological effects are very obvious. Addicts cannot function as normal members of society. They neglect or abuse their families, and eventually require expensive treatment or hospitalization. Drug Addiction: Drug addiction…

Words 510 - Pages 3

Safeguarding Children Essay example

* CHRONOLOGY * * Second Trimester * * Mother attended her community drug and alcohol team (CDAT) were she was on a methadone programme. Referral was made by her key worker stated concerns that she may be pregnant and concealing it * * Pre - birth conference was held to establish the issues surrounding the mother, her pregnancy and her parenting skills. Mother did not attend. The pre – birth conference attended by the CDAT key worker, safeguarding midwife, health visitor…

Words 4833 - Pages 20

Family Addiction Paper

Effects of Addiction on the Family: The effects of addiction in the family are vast. Risk factors impact the family dynamics and functionality of all members of the family. Few studies are looking at the effects within the family as they impact communications however, correlations can be seen in addict behaviors and the impacts on members of the family as they relate to each other and society. In the article Parenting and Drug addiction A Psychodynamic Proposal Based on a Multifactorial Perspective…

Words 848 - Pages 4