Parental substance use and violent behavior by their children

Abstract

Parental alcohol use was found to be associated with child to parent violence, but there was no such association between parental drug use and child to parent violence, according to a study published in Drug and Alcohol Review. The suggestion is that parental behavior may influence their child's behavior, and that this is due to the disinhibiting effects of alcohol and resulting unpredictability at home. Why no association with parental drug use, which is also disinhibiting and leads to unpredictability? The most likely answer is that very few parents in the study reported drug use — and that differing drug types have different effects on the home environment, according to the study, “Parent substance use and child-to-parent violence: A brief report.” Whether alcohol or drugs, substance use contributes to aggressive and violent behavior. The researchers looked at an online survey from 119 caregivers (parents) experiencing violent abuse from a child; the respondents were 97% female and aged 27–28 years.