Impact on children

There is a range of ways parental drug or alcohol use can impact on children and their development. However, it is important to note that children can suffer from the same range of harms where there is no substance use, and that children with substance using parents may suffer no harm. While this seems obvious, many social workers still assume that any substance use is a child protection issue. It is not. Social work responses need to be based on an informed and critically reflective value base about substance use and knowledge of appropriate interventions.

This said, the following is a list of the possible negative effects problematic parental alcohol and drug use may have on children:

• Behavioural and emotional problems from inconsistent or inappropriate parenting
• Maltreatment and/or overly punitive discipline
• Neglect and exposure to drug-related activities
• Developmental delays
• Under achievement in education
• Social isolation and stigma
• Inconsistent and lukewarm care
  ineffective supervision
• Child becomes carer.

However, it is important to remember that these issues may result from poor parenting regardless of problematic drug/alcohol use. They may exist prior to problematic use and may equally remain after the parents are no longer experiencing problematic use.

Cleaver et al.’s (1999) book on parenting capacity further details the negative consequences of parental problematic substance use on children at different ages and stages of development. Further, it helpfully details the resilience factors alongside the negative effects at each stage. Although the book addresses three parental behaviours, ie. parental mental ill health, parental substance use and domestic violence, what is striking is the similarity of effects that each one has on children. This suggests that only informed assessment will determine the underlying cause of the child’s problems and thus the appropriate response.

What the children say
There are an increasing number of studies from agencies working with children that have tried to determine children’s perspectives on their parent’s alcohol or drug problem. The following are a sample of responses given by such children:

• Fear of being abandoned or parent dying
• Afraid parents don’t love them
• Fear of the parent when he/she is under the influence
• Afraid parent’s alcohol or drug use will brand them ‘a loser’
• Cope with it by ‘hiding away’, crying, seeking contact with other children
• Want respite care – with or without their family
• Feel less guilty where parents admit to having substance problems
• Feel responsible for helping parent/s and want them to get help/be helped first
• If parent/s are helped, they will accept help too.

The latter points demonstrate the way children’s and social workers’ views could be diametrically opposed. Social workers are taught to view child’s needs as paramount; the child perceives their need as getting help for the parent. Exploring these perspectives openly with parent and child (where age appropriate) is a step towards seeking solutions based on principles of partnership and empowerment.

References
Cleaver, H., Unell, I. and Aldgate, J. (1997) Children’s Needs – Parenting Capacity: the impact of parental mental illness, problem alcohol and drug use, and domestic violence on children’s development. London: The Stationery Office.

Impact on parenting | Resilience factors | Assessment and intervention
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