Introduction
Growing up in a home with parents who abuse drugs can have major short term and long term effects on children who are exposed to it. The experiences can cause them to suffer minor to severe physical and emotional issues. The issues can later lead to the child not to being able to function in society productively. Or maybe even following the same down spiral as their parents. In this research paper, I will define the term drug abuse, the effects parental drug abuse can have on a child before, during, and after conception, parental drug abuse in the home, and some preventive measures that can be taken by society to protect children from the life-altering effects of parental drug abuse.
Drug Abuse Defined Taking drugs one time is
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There several preventive measures that have been designed to protect children from the effects of parental drug abuse. One of the measures put in place is a cross-system collaboration called Project SAFE. According to Oliveros and Kaufman (2011) “Project SAFE (Substance Abuse Family Evaluation) was initiated to facilitate cross-system and interagency collaboration. Project SAFE involved (1) establishing a collaborative relationship between child protection and adult mental health and addiction service systems, (2) implementing a screening tool for protective service workers to determine if clients needed specialty substance abuse evaluation, (3) hiring a substance abuse specialist for each of regional child protection services offices to consult with workers, and (4) contracting with a statewide behavioral health consortium to provide drug testing, substance abuse assessments, and outpatient treatment - with these contracted services available to augment publicly funded substance abuse assessment and treatment resources. (p. 28). Another protect measure that is put in place for mothers and the unborn babies are the Engaging Moms Program. Oliveros and Kaufman (2011) The Engaging Moms (EM) program was initially developed for mothers of cocaine-exposed infants involved with child welfare. EM is a manualized home-based 12-week intervention designed to promote maternal enrollment and retention in substance abuse services. EM interventions are guided by principals derived from multidimensional family therapy and incorporate approaches focused on the individual and family level. EM specialists address barriers to treatment (e.g., transportation, childcare), and therapeutic contacts focus on (1) validating mother's feelings about delivering a substance-exposed baby, (2) highlighting losses and missed opportunities as well
Through the years, substance misuse in the United States has turned into an industrious issue influencing numerous people. In 2008, it was assessed that 17.8 million Americans beyond 18 years old where substance subordinate. Women who use medications during pregnancy can have an enduring impact on fetal. Medications can have an impact of maternal and child wellbeing, yet there are a lot of different variables, which influence it, poor social environment, nourishment, cleanliness, and sexual abuse. Regenerative interruption connected with heroin utilization has been shown in both and women and even low dosages of opiates can impede ordinary ovarian capacity and ovulation. The harm that goes hand in hand with substance utilization comes either straightforwardly from the impact of the medication itself or from issues identified with development and/or unexpected labor. The entanglements of jumbling components clamorous way of life, poor nourishment, liquor utilization and cigarette smoking influence the appraisal of the impacts of cocaine in pregnancy. In obstetric practice, 100% of pregnant women utilizing cocaine or heroin are cigarette smokers. Cigarette smoking is presumably the most well known manifestation of substance utilizes and is noteworthy corresponding considering ladies who use unlawful medications. Babies whose moms smoked in pregnancy have a tendency to have lower conception weights and diminished length, cranial and thoracic
In the United States, prenatal substance use continues to be a widespread problem with the addictive substances used during pregnancy; the risk factors, and the long-term effects a baby can have. When a pregnant woman uses drugs, she and her unborn child face serious health problems. Long-term effects of drugs on babies can include behavioral problems as they grow older. They can also be born addicted to the drugs used to treat the mother’s addiction. The task at hand is to make sure that we view all drugs of abuse through a common lens, regardless of legal status, so that their impact on child outcome can be adequately assessed leading to appropriate policy
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.
In this paper, the problem I will be addressing is substance use during pregnancy. This social issue has been ongoing for over 30 years. Policymakers have debated tirelessly on how to deal with the issue of prenatal exposure to controlled substances, while pregnant women have been prosecuted for using drugs during their pregnancy in a number of states since the late 1980’s (Dailard, Nash 2000). These women are usually prosecuted under child abuse statutes, even when the child has no apparent sign of physical harm. Presently, there is still no national consensus on this issue, leaving many women vulnerable to prosecution (Jessup, 2003). It is easy for us to want to criminalize
Drugs and alcohol have been used for medical and recreational purposes throughout history. With advancement of technology it has become easier and easier to access these substances. It is not only illegal drugs but prescription drugs that are being misused and wreaking havoc across the world. Even with billions of dollars being paid out to stop the war on drugs, the problem persists. People from all walks of life have been affected by drugs or are becoming drug addicts themselves. One particular group afflicted by the misuse of these substances is the children of drug addicted parents. According to Cattapan and Grimwade, “Drug use seen in one generation affects the lives of the next”. Children with one or both parents on drugs face huge
In this paper, I look at forms of substance abuse and the effects on children. I will be using the following headings to break down the different issues associated with this social problem: social causes, phenomenon, and consequences. I hope to educate those that may be ignorant to the situation, and help to spark a flame that can be used to not be a bystander, but a solution to the problem at hand.
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
Drug addiction is a serious issue in not only America today, but globally. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, substance addiction is a “chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite the harmful consequences” (“What is drug addiction?”). Drug abuse affects not only the user, but those around the user as well. The actions of a drug user place a significant amount of worry on the people that are closest to them such as friends and family. Children with parents who are addicted to drugs or alcohol can be severely affected by the actions of their parents which can cause them much harm in terms of biological and
Parents who use drugs or alcohol are likely to overlook their children leaving them to their own diplomacy. Since such parents are often lost in their addictions, they are unable to provide the proper leadership that children need particularly throughout their growing days (Sindelar & Fiellin 2001). Teenagers bred in homes where a dear blood relation uses alcohol or drugs, have a superior propensity for developing the dependence afterward, generally because the family is more relaxed in terms of drugs use. The result of alcohol or drug abuse on relations involved and results may differ between families based on a numerous factors. Families affected by substance abuse have one thing in comparison; they reside in homes where traits
Substance abuse during pregnancy can have a negative force on the health and wellness of not only the fetus, but that of the mother. The harmful effects of medications, alcohol and illegal drugs on an unborn child can be devastating and can have significant consequences to its use. Sometimes the effects can be faced and treated, and other times the outcome is a lifelong challenge. During the prenatal period, it is important that new mothers are informed of the different types of abuse, how they may affect the fetus, and the adverse conditions their child may be faced with before and after birth.
Mothers addicted to heroin during a pregnancy are not only harmful to mother and child during gestation but have many social and medical problems after birth of the child. In the first paragraph I describe how women might come to find themselves in the situation of abusing drugs and finding out they are pregnant. I will provide information on some signs or a profile of addiction and substance abuse in women. The next point I will cover is through an interesting study that shows what the mothers pregnancy , the babies birth and postpartum outcomes are. I will explore what the options are for treatment during pregnancy and whether the mother can be separated from her dependency. Lastly I will disclose what the legal and social implications for chemical dependent women hold. Do moms go to jail? I will bring to light what the future holds for new born that have a mother who is addicted to heroin.
Research shows the young adolescents who are exposed before 14 years of ages are more likely to develop dependence or addiction to the substance used. Another primary protective prevention method is by good and strict parenting. Parents should be able to monitor their child’s activities or influences to prevent experimentation of substances and also strong close family bonds (Ford, 2016). Support from the family members is very critical in the preventive precautions of a child. Because again one of the major factors that lead to substance about starts at home. Parents must be present throughout the childhood years to guide and orient the child.
Drugging your children?! What?! That sounds horrible?! To some people yes this is horrible to others it’s not. Many people believe that medicating a child with ADD or ADHD is okay, that it is good for the child and that it helps them grow and learn more. Many other people believe that medicating the same child with prescription medication is just the same as giving your child medication not prescribed by a doctor. But is it right to medicate your child? In the case where you medicate your child, the positives are that your child is more likely to focus, and apply themselves. The negatives are that they are also more likely to develop a drug habit later in life, less likely to be creative, less likely to have an individual
Imagine if the two people you admire the most, the two people who set the example of how life should be, just stopped taking care of you and neglected your individual needs. What could be the reason your parents have chosen to withdraw from your life? If you could examine this picture more closely, you would see that these "types" of parents are the ones who are addicted to drugs and stray away from the needs of their own children. These parents do not realize the neglect they are showing for their children; they are not in the right state of mind to even consider what the child needs. Neglect is not the only risk involved by parents using drugs; this behavior could also result in their own
Children can be subjected to the negative effects of parental substance use in a variety of different ways. For example, substance use during pregancy can cause detrimental outcomes for newborn infants by placing them at a higher risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), being born with birth defects, developing behavioral and developmental delays, being born premature, etc. Children with addicted parents, are placed at a higher risk of: lacking appropriate supervision; lacking basic needs such as: food, clothing, housing, and medical care; exposure to violence; developing substance abuse issues themselves.