Question

1) Discuss the relationship between substance abuse and child maltreatment.

2)What impact does access to health insurance have on children in the child welfare system?

Answer 1

Substance abuse has a huge impact on child maltreatment. It has been found that 9% of the children in the US live with atleast one parent who either drinks alcohol or uses other drugs. Children of parents who abuse these substances are far more likely to experience social, emotinal, mental and physical abuse than are the children who live with parents who do not abuse any of these substances. The statistics vary, but studies have shown that between one-third and two-thirds of child maltreatment cases involve substance abuse (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999). In a recent survey by the National Center on Child Abuse Prevention Research, 85 percent of States reported substance abuse was one of the two major problems exhibited by families in which maltreatment was suspected (National Center on Child Abuse Prevention Research, 2001).

Parents who abuse substances are unable to function effectively in teh parental role due to the following reasons.

a. Most of the money that should be utilised in the family is spent of purchasing drugs or alcohol

b. Due to the physical and mental impairment while under the influence, the parent is unable to look after the child and care for its needs.

c. Most of the time that should be spent with the child is spent instead of looking for these sustances and the rest of the time is spent in using them.

Due to these reasons, the parents are unable to look after the basic needs of the child, are unable to provide for their food and schooling, thus resulting in the children being neglected. These habits also lead to problems such as unemployement, mental illness, high levels of stress and impaired family functioning, all of which put the children at risk for abuse and maltreatment.