Advisability of Substance Abuse Testing in Parents Who Severely Maltreat Their Children: The Issue of Drug Testing Before the Juvenile/Family Courts

• NCJ Number: 121397
• Journal: Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law Volume: 16 Issue: 3 Dated: (1988) Pages: 217-223
• Author(s): R Famularo; G Spivak; D Bunshaft; J Berkson
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The issue of mandatory drug abuse testing is controversial, even when juvenile courts required it of parents who severely maltreat their children through abuse or neglect.

Abstract

Urine testing for substance abuse is an important part of the overall substance abuse treatment for some parents, although it does not sufficiently ensure adequate treatment. Specific urine testing guidelines are offered in the context of child maltreatment cases in which the court is considering moving children from parental to State custody. Because of its limitations, urinalysis is appropriate only in well-defined situations. A multimodal treatment program for the substance-abusing, child-maltreating parent would include treatment of substance abuse as the first and most important step. 16 references.