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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

interferes with communication between family members and results in misinterpretations of

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

verbal physical or sexual, physical or emotional neglect, bereavement, parental separation or

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

disorders, heart defects and many more. (Web).

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

has been charged with reckless endangerment of children. (Web.)

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

and miscommunications in the family life.

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

children the care they need.

Works Cited

Califano, Joseph A, Jr. Substance Abuse is Responsible for Child Abuse. Child Abuse. Ed.

Lucinda Almond. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2001. Current Controversies. Opposing

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Viewpoints in Context. Web. 10 Jan. 2017.

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

Treatment, 2017. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

Child Neglect Due to Substance Abuse is on the Rise. Narconon. Narconon International,

2017. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

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.

Effect of Substance Abuse on Children. Alcoholrehab.com. DARA Thailand, 2008-2017. Web.

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,

1998-2016. Web. 20 Jan. 2017.

Widom, Cathy. Alcohol Abuse as a Rise Factor for & Consequences of Child Abuse.
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NCJRS.gov. USA.gov, 2017. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.