New Study Reveals Multiple Ways Parental Drinking is Dangerous for Children

According to The Guardian, “A report commissioned by a cross-bench group of MPs and peers found that alcohol abuse by parents was behind horrific problems for children” and that “more than one in three deaths or serious injuries suffered by a child through neglect or abuse is linked to parental drinking” (Rawlinson, 2018).

The study found that “between 2011 and 2014, alcohol misuse was involved in 37 percent of cases of a child’s death or serious injury” (Leipholtz, 2018). Furthermore, the study also reported that 15 percent of children stated their bedtime routine was disrupted due to parental drinking and 18 percent of children were embarrassed by seeing a parent intoxicated (Leipholtz, 2018). The Guardian also stated that “Children living with alcohol-dependent parents reported feeling socially isolated and reluctant to seek help, due to feelings of stigma, shame, and guilt about not wanting to betray parents, the study found” (Rawlinson, 2018).

The Guardian reported that over half the councils did not have any strategy in place to assist children of alcoholic parents (Rawlinson, 2018). In addition, “92 percent of the fifty-three councils surveyed replied that they were cutting budgets for alcohol and drug treatment” (Leipholtz, 2018).

Liam Byrne, Labor MP and chairman of the All-Party Group for Children of Alcoholics, stated, “Parental alcohol misuse scars kids for life and can lead many into a life of drinking too much themselves” (Rawlinson, 2018). Byrne lost his own father to alcoholism in 2015, and said the report showed why the government needed to act.

Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said, “This report lays bare the real and damaging impact parental drinking can have on children. The findings of this report make me more determined than ever to prioritize tackling addiction while supporting the children and families affected” (Rawlinson, 2018).

References
Leipholtz, B. (2018). How problematic parental drinking impacts children. Retrieved from https://www.thefix.com/how-problematic-parental-drinking-impacts-children
Rawlinson, K. (2018). Parental alcohol abuse linked to child deaths and injuries. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/11/parental-alcohol-abuse-linked-to-child-deaths-and-injuries