Substance Abuse and Child Neglect
Substance abuse interferes with a parents ability to parent responsibly. Parental duties are part of the business of raising a child, protecting a childand when the parent is impaired by drugs or alcohol, the child is neglected ipso facto. There may be factors affecting the overall situation, such as poverty or previous abuse of the parent as a childbut the child in this case sees only a mother whose judgment is impaireda parent who is not emotionally available and who is probably having financial problems, too, as usually happens with substance abuse (Cash & Wilke, 2003). These factors all come together to contribute to a household of neglect, a condition where a child's basic need, i.e., food, shelter, love, affection, emotional support, are consistently unmet over and over again. The ecological model shows how these layers interacti.e., the individual, family, and community factors, and how their intersection can elevate the risks associated with maternal substance abuse.
One of the ways substance abuse increases the risk of neglect is by disrupting the mothers ability to remain attentive and responsive to a child's needs. Parents under the influence of substances will likely put priority on obtaining and using drugs or alcohol instead of thinking about their children's safety and well-being. Or, they will just assume the child is fine. They are irrational due to the addiction. Substance abuse usually leads to chaotic home environments and social isolation, which increases the vulnerability of children.
Cash and Wilke (2003) also suggest that social and familial factors, like poverty, lack of social support, and the stigma surrounding addiction, further aggravate issue of neglect. They recommend a comprehensive approach to treatment that addresses the substance abuse as well as the socio-economic factors and layers that need to be considered in order to provide full-spectrum support.
References
Cash, S. J., & Wilke, D. J. (2003). An ecological model of maternal substance abuse and child
neglect: Issues, analyses, and recommendations.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry,73(4), 392-404.
