NCJ Number
59272
Date Published
1978
Length
10 pages
Annotation
METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS ARE REPORTED FOR A STUDY DESIGNED TO GATHER DATA ON FAMILIES KNOWN TO HAVE A PARENT WHO IS AN ALCOHOL ABUSER, DRUG ABUSER, CHILD ABUSER, OR CHILD NEGLECTOR.
Abstract
THE MAJOR HYPOTHESIS WAS THAT A POSITIVE RELATONSHIP EXISTED BETWEEN ALCOHOL ABUSE OR OTHER DRUG ABUSE AND THE ABUSE OR NEGLECT OF CHILDREN. THE QUESTIONNAIRE USED FOR DATA COLLECTION CONTAINED OVER 300 QUESTIONS DIVIDED INTO THE FOLLOWING MAJOR SECTIONS: DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, STRESS FACTORS, CHILDREN'S MEDICAL HISTORY, RESPONSIBILITY OF CHILD CARE, REALITY PERCEPTIONS, THE RESPONDENT'S HOME ENVIRONMENT AS A CHILD, FAMILY RELATIONS AND ROLE EXPECTATIONS, ALCOHOL ABUSE, MARIHUANA ABUSE, AND OTHER DRUG ABUSE. DATA WAS COLLECTED ON BOTH ANGLO AND MEXICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES. THE SAN ANTONIO CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT RESEARCH PROJECT STAFF USED SEVERAL LOCAL AGENCIES DEALING WITH CHILD ABUSE AND SUBSTANCE ABUSERS TO OBTAIN SUBJECTS. THE CONTROL GROUP WAS DRAWN FROM THE SAN ANTONIO STREET DIRECTORY AND A SAMPLE OF ADDRESSES IN BEXAR COUNTY. IT WAS ASSUMED THAT MEMBERS OF THE CONTROL GROUP(N=92) WERE NOT CHILD ABUSERS OR SUBSTANCE ABUSERS. WITHIN EACH OF THE TWO ETHNIC GROUPS, THERE WERE FOUR GROUPS: (1) THE CONTROL PARENT GROUP (ANGLO-AMERICAN N=33, MEXICAN AMERICAN N=59), (2) THE CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT PARENT GROUP (ANGLO-AMERICAN N=21, MEXICAN AMERICAN N=55), (3) THE ALCOHOL ABUSER PARENT GROUP (ANGLO-AMERICAN N=7, MEXICAN AMERICAN N=84), AND (4) THE DRUG ABUSER PARENT GROUP (ANGLO-AMERICAN N=20, MEXICAN AMERICAN N=62). IT IS ADVISED THAT INFERENCES FROM THE DATA PRESENTED MUST BE TENTATIVE, BECAUSE, ALTHOUGH THE FINDINGS PRESENTED ARE BASED ON A TOTAL OF 341 SUBJECTS, THE FACTOR STRUCTURE WAS DERIVED FROM DATA ON ONLY 80 SUBJECTS. SOME ITEMS WERE NOT ENTERED INTO THE FACTOR ANALYSIS DUE TO INCOMPLETE DATA AND INSUFFICIENT DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONSES. FACTOR ANALYSIS BASED ON THE FINAL SAMPLE OF APPROXIMATELY 1,000 INTERVIEWS WILL SHOW SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT RESULTS. RESULTS SHOWED THAT WHILE ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE PER SE DID NOT CORRELATE SIGNIFICANTLY WITH CHILD ABUSE IN EITHER THE MEXICAN AMERICAN OR ANGLO-AMERICAN GROUPS, ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION ASSOCIATED WITH DRINKING AND A FAMILY HISTORY OF DRINKING WAS REPORTED MORE PREVALENT AMONG CHILD ABUSERS IN BOTH GROUPS THAN AMONG CONTROLS. THIS SUGGESTS THAT CHILD ABUSERS MANIFEST A CERTAIN TYPE OF ALCOHOL ABUSE, PERHAPS LEARNED FROM THEIR PARENTS, IN WHICH THEY DRINK TO RELIEVE TROUBLING MENTAL SYMPTOMS. RESPONDENTS WERE RELUCTANT TO ADMIT DRUG USE. TABULAR DATA ARE REPORTED. (RCB)