NCJ Number
50639
Date Published
1977
Length
51 pages
Annotation
THE IMPACT OF ALCOHOL ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGECT, CHILD MOLESTING, MARITAL VIOLENCE, AND VIOLENCE BY CHILDREN IS CONSIDERED.
Abstract
STUDIES OF FAMILY PROBLEMS IN THE ALCOHOLISM LITERATURE ARE GENERALLY ORIENTED TOWARD CHRONIC CONDITIONS AND ROLE IMPAIRMENT RATHER THAN TOWARD THE OCCURRENCE OF SPECIFIC EVENTS. WHERE EVENTS ARE NOTED OR MEASURED, THEY ARE REGARDED PRIMARILY AS SYMPTOMS OF A CONDITION. ABUSE AND NEGLECT, ALTHOUGH IN MANY WAYS QUITE DIFFERENT, ARE OFTEN CONSIDERED AS ONE EVENT OR AT LEAST REGARDED AS HAVING SIMILAR CAUSAL PATHOLOGIES. RESEARCH ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT MORE OFTEN FOCUSES ON DRINKING HISTORIES AND DRINKING PROBLEMS OF CHILD ABUSERS RATHER THAN ON THE DRINKING OF ABUSIVE PARENTS PRIOR TO OR DURING THE ACT OF CHILD ABUSING. DETERMINING THE ACTUAL INCIDENCE OF CHILD MOLESTING IS DIFFICULT; MOST RESEARCHERS CONTEND THAT REPORTED MOLESTING COMPRISES ONLY A SMALL FRACTION OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF INSTANCES OF ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR, AND RESEARCH ON CHILD MOLESTING USUALLY HAS BEEN CONDUCTED FROM A TRADITIONAL CORRECTIVE APPROACH. REFLECTING A CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH TRADITION, CHILD MOLESTING LITERATURE HAS HAD A FAIRLY LONG HISTORY OF CONCERN WITH ALCOHOL INVOLVEMENT. MARITAL VIOLENCE INCLUDES A BROAD RANGE OF ACTS RANGING FROM A SLAP ON THE FACE TO HOMICIDE. THE MOST DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE INCIDENCE OF INTRAFAMILIAL VIOLENCE CAN BE EXTRACTED FROM HOMICIDE STATISTICS. THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE AVAILABLE ON THE POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT OF ALCOHOL IN INTRAFAMILIAL VIOLENCE WHERE THE CHILD IS THE AGGRESSOR. IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, THE AREAS OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT AND MARITAL VIOLENCE MUST BE VIEWED AS EMERGING RESEARCH DISCIPLINES. A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SUPPORTING DATA ARE PROVIDED. (DEP)