NCJ Number
226430
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 48 Issue: 2 Dated: February-March 2009 Pages: 120-138
Date Published
February 2009
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study examined evidence on how treating parental substance abuse changed children’s outcomes.
Abstract
Results suggest a number of different factors that may influence how children are affected by parental substance abuse treatment that should be taken into account in program development and future research. These include: the type of substance abuse treatment and auxiliary services available to parents and children through substance abuse treatment programs, what happens to children after parents have completed treatment, the contact parents have with their children, and the types of services received by children and people who care for them in their parents’ absence. Parental substance abuse treatment, when supplemented with other services, may improve conditions in children’s families, but there is insufficient evidence at present to conclude that changing conditions in children’s families necessarily translates into either preventing or ameliorating serious child problems. Much of the research on the children of parents in substance abuse treatment programs is based on mothers since there is a lack of information about children whose fathers take part in treatment. Data were collected from six studies examining the relationship between treating parental substance abuse problems and either preventing or ameliorating child emotional and behavioral problems, substance use, or delinquency. Table and references