In a study conducted by Deepa Shaji
Thomas of Sultan Quaboos University, 60 children (ages 10-14), all of whom had
alcoholic fathers, were surveyed. The goal of this study was to assess the
problems faced by the children of alcoholic fathers.
As stated in our book, 9.6 million
children have been or are currently raised in a home with an alcoholic parent.
Research has shown that children with alcoholic parents are at a greater risk
for psychosocial issues such as guilt, embarrassment, confusion, anger, depression,
poor peer relationships and school or health problems (Thomas, 64). It is important
for children to develop a healthy personality and “parental alcohol misuse
brings disruption to family functioning” (Thomas, 65).
According to the rating scale in
this experiment, it was concluded that the majority of the children, (61.7%)
had a moderate degree of problems while 21.7% had mild problems. Finally, 16.6%
of the children exhibited a severe degree of problems. The following are some
of the major concerns of the children with alcoholic fathers.
More than half of them feared
separation of their parents due to their father’s alcoholism. Fifty three
percent felt like running away from home, and ninety four percent disliked
their father’s alcoholic behavior. Many of these children expressed issues with
self-esteem and personality formation, as well as trouble in family
relationships. Some negative effects carried out into the health, home, school
and social events of the children.
As shown in this study, not to
mention many more, children with alcoholic parents, especially fathers,
experience many negative effects. Developmental delays, social abilities, and
the ways the children view themselves are all effected by the behavior of the
alcoholic parent. Hopefully knowing this information would motivate the
alcoholic parent to seek help for their addiction, as well as offer the
opportunity for the child to receive outside help as well, especially during
their formative years.
Thomas, Deepa S. "Children of Alcoholic Fathers: An Explorative Survey."GSTF Journal of Biosciences.
No comments:
Post a Comment