Parental Substance Abuse and Its Relationship to Severe Aggression and Antisocial Behavior in Youth

• NCJ Number: 153435
• Journal: American Journal on Addictions Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (Winter 1993) Pages: 48-58
• Author(s): S Gabel; R Shindledecker
• Date Published: 1993
• Length: 11 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DCC

Annotation

Preadmission data from 349 hospital-treated children and adolescents were used to examine the relationships between parental drug abuse and antisocial behavior and severe aggressive or destructive behavior in youth.

Abstract

Findings indicated that various categories of more specifically defined parental drug abuse (e.g., drug abuse in fathers) were related to severe aggressive or destructive behavior, conduct disorders, or both in their children. Findings also indicated that parental abuse of nonalcohol substances appeared to be more important than parental alcohol abuse in predicting severe aggressive and antisocial behavior. Drug abuse in fathers, especially abuse of drugs other than alcohol, also seemed to be more important than drug abuse in mothers in predicting severe aggression and conduct disorder. Tables and 40 references (Author abstract modified)