When someone has an addiction, it affects everyone in the household. But the ones who often suffer the most are children, who don’t understand what is going on and have little power to change their situation. Addiction is a family disease that can pose a threat to the safety and well-being of children. Here are seven of the greatest dangers children face.
7 Dangers
1. Physical, Sexual, or Emotional abuse
Addictive substances change brain chemistry. They lower inhibitions and alter mood. Someone who never thought they would harm a child may do so while under the influence, or they will neglect their duty to protect the child from others.
- Child Protective Services report that alcohol and drug abuse is a major contributing factor in 81% of child abuse and neglect cases.
- Parents abusing alcohol are three times more likely to physically or sexually abuse their children.
- It’s estimated that 20% of girls and 5% of boys are sexually assaulted as children. Of reported cases, 75% of the children were victimized by someone they knew. The abuser could be a parent, but it’s also likely that the abuser has access to the children because parents with substance abuse problems aren’t able to protect their children while under the influence. In one instance, a woman named Marie reported being assaulted during one of her parents’ parties. Her parents were drunk, and one of the partygoers molested her while in her family home.
2. Child Neglect
Parents under the influence of drugs and alcohol stop functioning as parents.
- They can forget to take children to school, resulting in multiple absences and early child dropouts.
- Parents can neglect to go grocery shopping. Multiple cases reported children foraging in garbage cans or stealing to eat when their parents were under the influence.
- Parents who abuse drugs may get fired from their jobs or spend their rent and utility money to get their next fix. Without money, parents can fall behind on critical payments, like utilities and rent. Children could end up without heat, hot water for bathing, electricity for lights, or refrigeration for their food. Some children end up homeless.
- Parents under the influence emotionally check out, leaving many children to fend for themselves without guidance, stability, or comfort.
3. Emotional Regulation
Children learn how to express emotion from their family. Parents under the influence may not regulate their own emotions, giving in to explosive anger or being withdrawn and distant. Without healthy interaction and guidance, children can follow their parents’ lead.
4. Depression, Anxiety, and Anger
When children watch their parents suffer from addiction, they often blame themselves for their parents’ problems, especially when the child is abused. They feel unloved or less important than their parent’s addiction. They may react to violence and abuse by becoming violent and abusive to others. They may withdraw, isolate themselves, and fall into a deep depression. Some experience suicidal ideation.
5. Trouble-seeking
In their need to connect and find support, children may seek attention outside the home in destructive ways. Even bad attention can feel better than no attention. Without a family unit, many children turn to gangs so they feel they belong. Uncontrolled anger can cause children to act out in class, destroy property through vandalism, and commit crimes like stealing. Some are desperate for connection and endanger their health through sexual promiscuity and even prostitution.
6. Addiction
Many children brought up in homes with drug and alcohol addictions develop addictions of their own. They unconsciously recreate the dynamic of their childhood home. Some children inherit their propensity for addiction from their parents while others learn unhealthy coping techniques by watching their parents.
7. Romantic Relationships With Addicts
People tend to gravitate toward what is familiar when they pick their romantic partners. Many children of addicted parents will unconsciously seek out romantic partners with similar addictions and behavioral patterns when they grow up.
While some of these examples are extreme, it is worth noting that no person expects their addiction to take them down destructive paths. They never think they will lose control over their lives, but addiction is a slippery slope, and the situation can get out of hand quickly.
There’s Hope
The good news is that decisive action now can save your child from these dangers. Search for “addiction recovery for fathers” or “sober living for mother and child near me” for local substance abuse centers. A good center will not only help you get sober, but it will offer family counseling that will help you correct any damage done to your family.
By entering rehab and involving your family in the healing process, you send a message that your children are more important than your addiction and that you will do what is necessary to protect and provide for them. With diligent effort, you can forge a new relationship with your children that will strengthen and inspire them throughout their lives.