NCJ Number
160650
Date Published
1994
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The Adult-Children-of-Alcoholics (ACOA) movement was initially intended to focus on the special problems of those raised by alcoholics; although the movement has received much praise, some critics argue that no solid evidence exists to prove that children of alcoholics have unique problems or that the movement is beneficial.
Abstract
ACOA therapy is based in the belief that the childhood experiences of ACOA's have left them with unique emotional patterns and problems. These include, for example, feeling different from others, putting up a false front, being reluctant to stand up for themselves, and failing to enjoy life as much as they would like. A new study has found, however, that most people feel this way, regardless of whether or not they were raised by alcoholics. Researchers argue that the basic beliefs of the ACOA movement are so vague or general that almost everyone identifies with them. Proponents of the movement concede that more research is needed on the adult children of alcoholics, but they say scientists who have studied the transmission of alcoholism from generation to generation have ignored the clinical experience of therapists who treat children of alcoholics. Proponents cite positive results from a new study, one of the few designed specifically to test a major concept of the movement, that children of alcoholics are drawn to partners who exploit them.