Background
The relationship between child abuse and parental alcohol intake is not a new relationship. There have been many issues in the past with child abuse and the parent’s substance abuse. Social workers are able to work with families who experience child abuse from alcoholic parents, they come into contact with these parents quite often. Looking back in history to the idea of child abuse, it wasn’t always a concern to society. In the United States, families often had children to help out with their family business (such as a farm) and were able to help out with making an income for the family (Fowler, 1981). Later into the nineteenth century, policymakers became more aware of child abuse and began to take interest in intervening (Fowler, 1981). Fast forward to today, child abuse is taken very seriously and it can often be challenging to draw a line between an accident and intentional harm. Many parents struggle to determine what child abuse is, if you include alcohol into the equation then that line becomes more blurry (Famularo, Stone, Barnum, & Wharton, 1986).
One study found males were more likely than females to by physically abused when a parent abused alcohol (Dube, Anda, Felitti, Croft, Edwards, & Giles, 2001). The same study include a larger number of Caucasian participants than participants of other races but it did not conclude that is a link between Caucasians abusing alcohol and then their children (Dube et al., 2001). Another study found children who lived in areas with higher rates of alcohol retailers were more likely to be physically abused versus children who lived in areas with high rates of bars and restaurants where alcohol is consumed on premise – children in these areas experienced higher rates of neglect instead of abuse (Freisthler, Midanik & Gruenwald, 2004). There is little research to suggest that race plays a factor into parental alcoholism and physical child abuse. It appears that more research needs to be done in this area. An Australian study reports that families with parental alcohol abuse in addition to lower income, public housing, and single parent households are more likely to have recurring child abuse in their home (Laslett, Room, Dietze, & Ferris, 2012).
Researchers have long studied the relationship between substance abuse and child maltreatment. A study by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) concluded that “substance abuse disorders appear to be the most common and among the most powerfully associated with maltreatment…approximately tripling the risk of [committing] maltreatment when other factors (social and demographic variables) were controlled” (Walsh, MacMillan & Jamieson, 2003). The relationship between parental alcohol abuse and child physical abuse has been among those studied. Through a community based survey, NIHM found that adults with a history of alcohol abuse were about three times more likely to commit child physical abuse (Walsh et al., 2003). In 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimated that 18% of the 677,000 children abused or neglected were physically abused by their parents (Freisthler, Holmes, Wolf, 2014). A general population survey found that 49 per 1,000 parents reported committing severe physical assault and 614 per 1,000 parents reported committing minor assault on their children (Straus, Hamby, Finkelhor, Moore & Runyan, 1998). Results of the survey concluded that one of the most substantial factors of committing physical assault on a child is the parents’ use of alcohol (Straus et al.,1998). Heavy-drinking increases the risk for child maltreatment, especially child physical abuse (Freisthler, 2011). In fact, parents who identify as alcohol dependent or alcohol abuses are 4.7 times more likely to commit physical abuse against their children (Kelleher, Chaffin, Holleberg & Fischer, 1994).
The adverse effects of abuse in childhood are well documented. Research shows that survivors of child abuse experience several adversities later on in life due to the childhood trauma, including increased risk of psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and major depression, and increased risk of suicidal thoughts in adulthood (Heim, Shugart, Craighead, & Nemeroff, 2010). Important psychological development processes such as emotional regulation and self-esteem can be compromised due to trauma as healthy attachment with an adult is not formed (Spinazzola, 2017). These maladaptive effects of abuse within childhood can be lasting and severe. Furthermore, it is important to note that not all children survive abuse. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, around 4 million cases of child abuse are reported involving around 7 million children, and there are a number more cases estimated that are never reported to child protective services (2018). The estimate of children who die due to child abuse, with almost fifty percent of these children estimated to have died from physical abuse, is approximately 1700 children per year (“Child Maltreatment”, 2015). The consequences of child abuse can be long lasting and can even lead to death, thus it is important for social workers to address the risk factor of alcohol abuse on physical abuse of children.
What causes these issues? There is such a tremendous amount of precursors to child abuse that need to be addressed. Alcoholism is a major element that contributes to child abuse. One factor that plays a role in alcoholism is genetic factors (Ducci & Goldman 2008). Adoption and twin studies can justify this statement because they moderate vulnerability to alcoholism (Ducci & Goldman 2008). Family functioning also plays a role in the probability or uncertainty of someone becoming an alcoholic (Sharma & Sharma, 2017). Consumption of alcohol can also be intensified if someone is involved in a lot of work stress or unfortunate economic conditions (Solanki, Rathod, Shah & Sailor, 2018). Another factor is society. Society tests individuals and urges them wonder about their self-worth and the longing to prove themselves to others. (Veliz, McCabe, & Boyd, 2018). All of these factors can assist in the production of an alcoholic which can then generate abuse to children if they are involved.