NCJ Number
223835
Journal
Child Maltreatment Volume: 13 Issue: 3 Dated: August 2008 Pages: 259-268
Date Published
August 2008
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study examined substance abuse among child maltreatment offenders in the U.S. Army.
Abstract
Findings found that 13 percent of 3,959 of Army soldiers who are child maltreatment offenders were noted to have been abusing alcohol or illicit drugs at the time of their first child maltreatment incident. Eighty-nine percent of offender substance abuse involved alcohol, 6 percent involved illicit drug abuse, and the remaining 5 percent involved both alcohol and illicit drug abuse. Offender substance abuse was more common among males and those who were White non-Hispanic in lower pay grades. Offenders whose child maltreatment incidents involved substance abuse or co-occurring spouse abuse were less likely to have children removed from the home to substitute care and more likely themselves to be removed from their home in maltreatment incidents. The data was primarily from the Army Central Registry, the Family Advocacy Program’s confidential electronic information system, during a 5-year period between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2004. The Army Registry includes demographic and military characteristics of offenders, victim characteristics, and descriptions of the maltreatment incident. Additional data which included information on all evaluations and service referrals for alcohol- and drug-related problems came from the Army Substance Abuse Program. Tables, figure, and references