Alcohol Abuse and Children
Alcohol abuse is the most common form of violence in the United States. Its greatest victims are innocent children. One in every four children fall prey to alcohol abuse before they reach the age of eighteen years. Alcohol abuse and children are both interlinked as researches prove that those children who have alcoholic in their family are bound to face constant physical and emotional abuse, they are neglected and forced to go through financial as well as social crisis.
Alcohol abuse and children are a regular concern for the society as these children gradually develop psychopathological and medical problems. It is seen that the alcoholic adults have themselves gone through a similar distressful situation during some point in there life which could have influenced them to take the same path. Therefore it is a constant threat that the child may do the same to their children when he or she grows up. This is a cyclic process which will never stop unless people are made aware of the risks of alcohol abuse and children.
On a broader perspective the entire country is threatened by the fact that alcohol abuse and children are becoming a combined issue as these children can never grow up to become responsible citizens. Parents are the role models of every child. It is the duty of the parents to give a healthy and safe environment to their children. By alcohol abuse and children who go through such a bad phase in their life have proven to become rowdy, trouble makers, impatient, reckless, have difficulty in focusing on one thing at a time. They are very poor in building social relationships.
The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) have pinpointed certain social risk factors which lead directly to alcohol abuse and children who are either mistreated or become the source of causing violence. Family environment and peer pressure are strong factors in the development of your child’s character and personality. It is observed that a child who shares a friendly and open relationship with his or her parents is less likely to develop alcoholic tendencies. With alcohol abuse and children who are admitted for its treatment very often report sexual exploitation, physical and verbal torture to them or someone else in the family.
Alcohol abuse and children witnessing such situation in their life develop several negative attributes themselves which are a continuous hazard to the society such as drinking and driving, early sexual activities, delay in puberty, extra bone growth causing a painful situation, suicidal behaviors as alcohol causes severe depression, and even brain damage due to excessive intake of alcohol. These extreme situations of alcohol abuse and children falling into this category require immediate attention. These children can be cured completely both mentally and physically. But for this they need full support of their family and a recovery centre that will medically assist them to come out of such circumstances. Children are an asset to this society so it is everybody’s responsibility to help in this cause of eradicating alcohol abuse and children who are daily oppressed by this slow poisoning.
