Running head: CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS 1

Julisa Segovia

Children of Alcoholics

ENG 102
CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS 2

Abstract

Children of alcoholics are the largest set population to be affected by alcoholism. With these

children growing up in an alcohol controlled environment is becomes easy for them to develop,

negatively. There are many negative impacts that comes out of growing up as a child of an

alcoholic, however behavior issues are the major issue in these children of alcoholics, (COA’s).

These behavior issue include aggression, from the exposure of aggression from the drunk parent,

social behaviors, including anti-social behavior or negative interactions, and struggles with

attachment, the act of acting out due to lack of discipline and acknowledgment from the

alcoholic parent(s). Studies have discovered many different points as to whether or not parental

alcoholism has really been a cause of negative attributes of children of alcoholics

CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS 3

Parents are completely unaware of the damage that can be caused when exposing their

child to ongoing alcoholism. Although, there is no damage done when a child observes their

parent(s) having an, “occasional,” drink. However, this does become an issue when these parents

begin to act irresponsibly while under the influence, and allowing the alcohol to affect their

children. Children of alcoholics are the biggest, set population to be affected by alcoholism.

Comparing the other potential side effects caused by alcoholism; children of alcoholics are at a

risk for multiple amounts of negative behavior. (Bodkins et. al. 2008). Being a parent that abuses

alcohol is one of the main reason why children develop behavior problems such as; aggression,

anti-social issues, and struggles with attachment.

Most aggressive actions are likely to come from alcohol, and it is likely for children who

act aggressively to be from parents of alcoholics. To support, those who externalize behavior

problems are usually elevated in children of alcoholics. (Heitzeg et. al. 2008). And although

aggressive behavior can come from many other situations, children of alcoholics suffer and

experience the most traumatic aggressive behavior from their alcoholic parents. A study

conducted by Lee and Cranford can add that alcoholism in parents plays a factor in with,

“externalized and internalized behavior.” (Lee & Cranford 2008). Whether the externalizing and

internalizing behavior comes from the parent or the child the outcome is negative and aggressive.

This will go to support, that being a child of alcoholic and a parent who is an alcoholic plays a

big role in behavior issues, especially aggression. However, Park and Schepp, exclaim that,

“children are immature and vulnerable: they are easily affected by the environment in which they

have grown up,” (2014). Children learn from what they are shown, environment plays an

outstanding role in influence. Most of the time parents who are under the influence of alcohol act

aggressively when they are at home; typically when their child is home. There is no wonder
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where these children learn these aggressive behavior. Although Schepp, and Park make a

valuable point that every child is vulnerable being put in any vulnerable situation, it is safe to say

that an alcohol abusive environment is a vulnerable situation for any child.

Children of alcoholics, and the difficulty of growing up as one, not only does exposure to

parental alcoholism create aggressive behavior within that child but it can also create negative

social behavior. When a child witnesses a parent, who abuses alcohol around them, become less

social and less involved in that child’s life the child will begin to show the same kind of behavior

to those in their environment. Symptoms of anti-social behaviors have been sought to occur

when children are exposed to a constant child maltreatment. (Scheper et al. 2015). A child’s first

teacher is their parent, so when a child notices their parents isolating themselves from the world

it becomes impactful and influential. Negative social behaviors do not just come from being

isolated. If a child with social behavior issues does have social interaction it usually ends with

negative encounters and possible violence. Dr. Singh conducted a study and states, “children of

alcoholics lack empathy for other persons…” (Singh 2017). Children begin to lose remorse for

themselves once it is noticeable parents have lost their remorse for that child; and once a child

loses remorse for themselves, they begin to lose remorse for those around them. However it has

been shown anti-social behavior in, “late childhood,” were shown to be caused by maltreatment

and non-maltreatment of children who come from a low income environment. (Cicchetti et. al.

2012). This meaning that although alcoholism can be considered maltreatment these researchers

oppose and it believe it comes from embarrassment that comes with being in the lower class. But

research has also shows that there is a lack of studies that can specifically determine that a

parents drinking and their behavior while drinking has any effect on their children’s

development. (Guttmannova et. al. 2016). Supposing that not every child has complete negative
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outcomes from being a child of an alcoholic, researchers, Edwards, Eiden, and others support

and state, “having an alcoholic parent place children at risk of... socio-emotional problems,”

(Edwards et. al. 2006). Having negative social behavior at such a young age can impact future

development as an adolescent and into adulthood.

Negative social behavior can contribute as to why children of alcoholics face such low

self-esteem. Due to lack of social support from their parent, there becomes a pattern in negative

experiences for children of alcoholics. In addition, lack of self-esteem can effect a child in any

environment, especially in school. Children of alcoholics have shown to have inconsistent and

negative results academically and cognitively. (Schepp et. al. 2015). To add, without the

emotional and social support from the alcoholic parent, the child will eventually fail to create an

identity and engage in maladaptive behaviors as a way to express and define themselves. (Corte

et al. 2008). Although some schools try to help with the academic problem, they do not

investigate more to discover why the child is doing so poorly. Although, being an acquaintance

to a child’s alcoholic parent, it can become difficult to communicate and discuss the problem

with a parent becomes, just as a child is unaware of going on, so are parents. Parents, in general,

do not like to hear how to raise their child; they especially would not want to hear that their

drinking is the reason their child is acting to poorly.

Growing up in an environment where one is constantly neglected it can either be

extremely easy or extremely difficult for a child to grow a connection with anyone. Thus,

creating complicated attachment behaviors. Schepp and Park state that, “impairments and

difficulties with interpersonal relationships among have been discussed in many studies of [adult

children of alcoholics]” (Schepp et. al. 2015). Children of alcoholics are the highest population

affected by alcoholism due to the negative consequences that come from the lack of parental
CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS 6

support they are receiving. According to Rangarajan, “In alcoholic families, parental drinking is

likely to result in periodic… emotional and physical unavailability of one or both parents. Thus,

children growing up with parental drinking are at risk for the development of insecure

attachment,” (Rangarajan 2008). Over time, the more a parent struggles with alcoholism the

more the parent begins to become neglectful the more likely it becomes for their child to

develop, “insecure attachment,” (Rangarajan 2008). Therefore, when a child begins to think they

are unwanted from their parents the child will begin to think they are unwanted from the world,

thus creating depression in the child affecting the development of that child in the future. To

make matters worse, children are completely unaware of why they are the way they are, and

believe that there is nothing wrong with them. Unfortunately, from a child’s perspective, a parent

can do no wrong. In a study ran by Tinnfalt and others, they found that young children did not

seem to find that their parents were doing anything wrong. (Tinnfalt et al. 2011). It is common

for children to have the blind eye to their parent’s actions while they are young; it is not until the

child grows into adolescence where children begin to notice the harm being caused from the

alcoholic parent. Thus, creating that resentment in that child towards their parent(s).

All these attributes come down to two outcomes for that COA’s development. The child

can develop positively by learning from their parents mistakes, or grow up to repeat their

parent’s mistakes. Studies have found that 84% of those who claimed themselves to be a victim

of alcohol abuse were likely to repeat the same incidents later on in adulthood. (Laslett et al.

2012.) Too add, children of alcoholics are not just likely to grow-up and experience what their

parents did but they even have a higher likelihood to develop ADHD, even as an adult.

According to researchers, Crocker and others, they have found that attention deficit disorder is

consistently found in alcohol exposed children, also finding the relationship between parental
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alcohol abuse and patterns among ADHD and the correlation on cognitive and behavior

problems. (Crocker et al. 2009). Aside from hyperactivity in physical behavior, it has also been

shown that children of alcoholics are likely to develop harmful mental disorders such as anxiety

and depression. According to an article written by Sylia Wilson and Emily Durban it states,

“That the possible mechanism for the familial transmission of depression is through negative

effects on parenting and the parent child relationship that comes with alcoholism.” (Wilson et al.

2010). With mental and psychological behaviors as an issue for children of alcoholics; it is clear

that parental alcoholism has a major impact in most cases of children of alcoholics.

With this being said, although parental alcoholism influences many negative attributes to

their child’s development, alcoholism is extremely impactful when it comes to behavior. A lot of

it has to do with the behaviors of the parents themselves. Aggression, can be driven through the

aggressive actions parents take when under the influence of alcohol. Having anti-social behavior

can also be brought upon by the parent due to the lack of attention and communication given to

the child. And attachment behaviors develops differently at the child grows up. Parents are a

child’s biggest teacher, when parents make bad decisions, (especially under the influence) with

their child watching there is no denying that this child will not be impacted. And due to the fact

that these behaviors occur so young in a child’s life, they are extremely vulnerable and believe

their parent can do no wrong to them, therefore giving these parents an open opportunity to

continue this behavior without even realizing how badly this can affect their child’s

development. Children are the biggest, set population that are negatively impacted by

alcoholism. Being a parent that abuses alcohol is one of the main reason why children develop

behavior problems
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