Childhood Adversity And Substance Abuse

Currie and Widom discusses how child abuse and child neglect represent major threats to child health and well-being. The article discusses adults that have experienced childhood abuse or neglect have lower levels of education, employment, earnings and fewer assets when their adults compared to children who have not experienced it. Apparently, the adults that were abused and neglected were in menial and lower paid jobs than the adults that were not. The authors also talk about how child abuse increases the negative consequences in a child adult life across multiple domains of functioning and developmental time points, including psychiatric, social, behavioral (crime and violence) and interpersonal functioning. This article could be used for researchers and educators. The author uses excellent examples and sources, but the text will specifically be used to provide some data my research

Growing up in the household under substances influence can cause severe damage to the child. Parental substance abuse has a significant impact on family function, and it may also contribute to child maltreatment. It heightens the risks to both of the physical and emotional safety of the children, and it generates children’s problematic outcomes. Children who grow up in such families may also experience mental health issues, social isolation, financial difficulties, and exposure to stressful life events and so on.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) such as neglect and abuse have the capacity to increase the likelihood of disease, social problems, sexual issues and mental health issues later in adulthood. A dysfunctional home life experience as a child also is also implemented and impacts physical, mental, social and sexual health and wellbeing as an adult.

At times, the community is unsafe and damaging to the child’s development with current research, they are finding that environmental factors with a high crime rate, poverty, acts of violence and high drug distribution are top contributors that can lead to abuse. This can result in depression, substance abuse and social isolation from the parent and are seen more likely to experience abuse or maltreatment. Although abuse in itself is contributing factor, the likely hood increases with age. During the interview Kaleb discussed how substance abuse in itself can be a leading factor on its own. From his statistics, from the Child Welfare League of America about 40 to 80 percent of families affected by substance abuse. Which as a result of issues of substance abuse the child is more at risk of sexual abuse from the caregivers. Substance abuse often creates a domino effect for the child later in life, such as young pregnancy, problems in school, incarcerated in as a juvenile and the inability to cope with the trauma they experienced. He also stated that substance abusers are the most difficult to treat since many adults do not want to seek proper treatment and more likely to have their child permanently removed to long care foster

It is estimated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human services that one million children are victims of child abuse and neglect in the U.S every year. This number may be an underrepresentation however, as many cases are unreported. Children who experience trauma in early childhood years or adolescence have impacts that follow them throughout adulthood. The common effects include relationship attachment issues, mental disorders, substance abuse, increased

Research indicates that children exposed to parental substance use are at increased risk for exposure to trauma and neglect (Kandel, 1990), linking with an increased risk for later developing SUDs (Mills, Teesson, Ross, & Peters, 2006 as cited in Khoury et al., 2010). Yet, as previously stated there is little research to show the modifying affects that treatment and recovery can have on the children of substance abusers.

As a child being a part of the welfare system can be challenging and have negative results on mental and physical health. Often society mistake “the system’s kids” to be delinquents who are consistently in trouble, have a hard time listening or following instructions from an authority figure, or children who cannot behave themselves. Many do not realize that most of these problems are psychological and can stem from the events at home. America’s population of child maltreatment victims, seventy-five percent are under the age of 12, these children are also at a higher risk for exhibiting delinquent behavior (Whitted & al, 2012). Abuse and neglect are two major risk factors that may lead a child to develop long lasting mental health impairments such as depression, low self-esteem and difficulties maintaining relationships in adulthood.

It is important to understand the complex role that families can play in substance abuse treatment. They can be a source of help to the treatment process, but they also must manage the consequences of the IP’s addictive behavior. Individual family members are concerned about the IP’s substance abuse, but they also have their own goals and issues. Providing services to the whole family can improve treatment effectiveness. Meeting the challenge of working together will call for mutual understanding, flexibility, and adjustments among the substance abuse treatment provider, family therapist, and family. This shift will require a stronger focus on the systemic interactions of families. Many divergent practices must be reconciled if family therapy

The experiences we have as children shapes our behaviors and they way our brains function as adults. Child abuse and neglect is a hidden epidemic that not everyone fully understands or knows about its existence. Every year three million reports are made against child abuse; more than six million children are affected annually. The United States carries one one the highest records of child abuse among industrialized countries. Abuse can be in many forms: physical, emotional, and sexual. Child abuse can cause many harmful heath issues in children. Mental heath disorders, sexual and reproductive health issues, and behavioral health (criminal behaviors) can all be a result of experiencing abuse as a child. Child abuse is more prevalent in children

“Results of the ACE study show that adult survivors of adverse childhood events have many health problems, including hepatitis, heart disease, fractures, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and chronic lung and liver disease, as well as a correlational relationship between child abuse and behaviors in adulthood that are harmful to the individual’s health including smoking, alcohol use, overeating, intravenous drug use, and promiscuity.”

Child abuse affects children now. For example Cdc.gov states that studies have discovered abused and neglected children to be at least 25% more likely to experience problems such as teen pregnancy, and low academic achievement. (2014) Cdc.gov adds that being abused or neglected increases their risk of quitting high school. (2014) As well as a National Institute of Justice study indicated

The purpose of this study is to determine if child abuse and neglect affect social status, grade point averages (GPA), or psychological imbalances of individuals later in life. This study is important to address to the public of the long-term affects of abuse and neglect in relation to such topics. The subjects surveyed are college-aged students ranging from ages 18 to 25. This survey is based on abuse or neglect from the subject’s parents or guardians at any point from birth to age 16 or 18. The cut off age group is dependant upon how old the subject was once they moved out of the household.

Every year, child abuse and neglect affect more than one million children nation-wide (Currie and Tekin 1). Along with this, child abuse is the source of severe injury to more than 500,000 children and the death of over 1,500 children (Currie and Tekin 1). These outrageously large numbers reveal the extent to which child abuse and neglect impact society; however, they do not acknowledge the effect abuse can have on a child’s life and the repercussions that may occur in both the individual’s childhood and adulthood. While the effects most certainly include physical pain and possibly future disabilities, child abuse and neglect can also affects the child’s psychological welfare. Psychological effects are often more difficult to recognize,

child maltreatment or physical abuse may be a sensitive topic to discuss as a potential way

Often victims of child abuse suffer from posttraumatic disorder, which according to Mayo Clinic a nonprofit medical practice and medical research group posttraumatic disorder is defined as “A mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event either experiencing or witnessing (Mayo clinic staff 2014). Victims who deal with psychological disorder not always commit violent crimes but instead victims tend to depend on drugs, alcohol to try to live their lives day by day, as time goes on these individuals tend to be classified as drug addicts or alcoholics. The fact that individuals depend on alcohol and drugs can lead them to ended up living in the streets and becoming what we know as the “homeless” often these individuals the lack of resources to buy drugs or alcohol lead them to commit property crimes and lead them to be processed into the criminal justice system as offenders. According to Exploring the Role of Child Abuse in Later Drug Abuse “As many as two-thirds of all people in treatment for drug abuse report that they were physically, sexually, or emotionally abuse, and witnessing or being threatened with violence or other abuse”. (Neil Swan 1998). As has been noted individuals who abuse substances and alcohol are not regular people