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Example research essay topic: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Children Of Alcoholics - 1,856 words

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Topic Description The topic I chose for the research assignment is children of alcoholics. I chose to focus more on the children that are involved in families of alcoholics rather than on the family as a whole, because I felt there would be too much information. Because I grew up in a stable, relatively normal family, I chose to research a topic in which I did not have experience with. The participants that I chose for the interview are people that I know to have problems with parental alcoholism.

Both of the interviewees are mature enough to reflect upon their childhood experiences, and are also still dealing with them to a point. The male participant is a friend of my sister, and the female participant is my roommate. I will discuss the research that I have done on children of alcoholics and then I will discuss the interviews. Introduction The National Association for Children of Alcoholics reports that there are an estimated 11 million children of alcoholics under the age of eighteen in the United States (Children of Alcoholism: Important facts). Additionally the association states that "almost one in every five adult Americans lived with an alcoholic while growing up" (Children of Alcoholism: Important facts). These statistics are horrifying.

Living with an alcoholic is a very dangerous and emotionally stressful experience. Effects of growing up in an alcoholic family include Fetal Alcohol Syndrome for a baby that is exposed to alcoholism in the womb, hyperactivity, alexithymia, low self esteem, child abuse and many others. Teenagers who are children of alcoholics are emotionally neglected and might start drinking earlier than their peers. Adults who have survived living with an alcoholic family often have trouble functioning in relationships. In the 1970 's, researchers and other professionals began to look deeply into the "impact of parental alcoholism on children" (Jacob and Seilhamer 168).

This began to open America's eyes to the dangers of being a child of an alcoholic. Although research on this issue has relatively just started, concern for these unfortunate children has been documented as far back to the time of Aristotle (Jacob and Seilhamer 168). The gin epidemic in England during the 1700 's sparked concern due to "high infant morbidity and mortality" (Jacob and Seilhamer). Problems associated with being the child of an alcoholic regained national attention in the past 25 years with the formation of such groups as the National Association for Children of Alcoholics, and programs for treatment and prevention such as Al-Allen (Jacob and Seilhamer 168).

The amount of attention that is paid to studying and trying to help children of alcoholics indicates how much of a problem it is. Lindy Boggs, former Congresswoman and chairperson of the Task Force of Crisis Intervention once remarked, Alcohol abuse seemed to be connected to and exacerbate, so many problems that American families and their children face (Alcohol Abuse and its Implications for Families). Although this paper will discuss the many family issues that accompany being a relative of an alcoholic, the main focus will be on the children of alcoholics. Children of alcoholics are important to observe and study because they are, in most cases, the innocent victims of parental alcohol abuse.

Sara Markowitz and Michael Grossman articulate the importance of parental alcohol abuse by stating, Alcohol use and abuse is an important research topic because of the significant costs alcohol abuse imposes on individual users, their families, and society as a whole (309). Dangers from Conception Being born to a mother who is an alcoholic is a struggle from conception. Some of the outcomes that can occur from this type of pregnancy are "spontaneous abortion, still birth" and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (Windel 30). The latter is a term that refers to "birth defects common to children whose mothers were chronic alcoholics who drank heavily throughout pregnancy" (Windel 29). Some of the abnormalities of children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome are growth retardation, central nervous system deficits, developmental delay, brain malformations, and characteristic facial features.

These effects of being born to an alcoholic mother have a devastating effect on both the child and the family as a whole. Families that deal with miscarriages and still births are faced with emotional distress which could include: sadness, frustration, disappointment and anger (Knox and Schacht 341). This may worsen the condition of the alcoholic mother because she might blame herself for the death (Knox and Schacht 341). Dealing with such problems as hyperactivity and developmental delay create extra stress on the parents of the children (Knox and Schacht 332).

Even in children that do not suffer from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, there are other detriments associated to being in a family with a history of alcoholism. Corral et al. observed lower performance in children with a family history of alcoholism than in children with out alcoholic relatives in attentional, visio spatial, and frontal tasks (509). In addition, developmental difficulties may be expressed in a child of an alcoholic and include elevated motor activity, attention deficits, reactivity, impulsivity, and anxiety (Hussong et al. 453). Again, all of these outcomes are an added stress on the family of the child. Effects of Alcohol on the Family Alcoholism impacts families of all races, socioeconomic status, religions, and other backgrounds.

Although each family responds and deals with alcoholism differently, there are several universal problems that most families must face. Ruth Ann Seilhamer and Theodore Jacob have proposed a pathway in which parental alcoholism affects offspring (176). This pathway of will provide the structure in which the ways children of alcoholics are affected are discussed. Ethanol Effects The first step in the pathway is consumption of the alcohol.

The intake of the alcohol leads to three possible effects. One of the first effects is the ethanol effects (Seilhamer and Jacob 176). In this direct result of alcohol consumption, the ability to be an effective parent is impaired (Seilhamer and Jacob 176). According to Cathy Spatz Wisdom, in the article Child Abuse and Alcohol Use and Abuse, under the influence of alcohol, individuals who may already be stressed may misinterpret cues and resort to abusive behavior (291). Many parents that abuse alcohol perform their duties differently when intoxicated and when sober (Ackerman 13).

According to Robert Ackerman, author of Let Go and Grow, When drinking, the alcoholic would demonstrate irresponsible behavior to the child, and when sober would try to do all of the positive parenting at one time (13). The behaviors exhibited by the alcoholic parent affect the child psychologically, because there is no consistency in parenting. Child Abuse Child abuse is one of the most devastating side effects of ethanol consumption. Abuse can range from psychological abuse to physical abuse and in some cases sexual abuse. There are many statistics that support the fact that alcoholism and abuse go hand in hand. Markowitz and Grossman estimate that around forty percent of all cases of child maltreatment (including physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect) involve alcohol (310).

Additionally, studies shows that thirteen percent of child abuse cases involved a perpetrator who was intoxicated at the time of the attack, and that in sixty nine percent of cases of child abuse, at least one parent was an alcoholic (Markowitz and Grossman 310). Family Effects There are many ways in which families are affected by alcoholism. Marital strain is one of the primary outcomes of parental alcoholism. Many times, if one parent is an alcoholic and the other is not, the non-alcoholic parent has a great deal of stress and responsibility. Spouses of alcoholics, may be resentful or frustrated with their partners actions. The non-alcoholic parent must perform the duties of both parents when the alcoholic is too intoxicated to fulfill them.

Consequently, non-alcoholic parents may be inconsistent, demanding and frequently neglect the children (Duffy). Lindy Boggs asserts, Spouses of alcoholics cannot support their children emotionally because they are so wrapped up in their own survival (Alcohol Abuse and its Implications for Families). Studies have shown that it is unlikely for husbands of female alcoholics to stay married (Ackerman 50). Thus, additionally emotional strain is placed upon all family members. Having financial difficulties is another issue that families of alcoholics cope with. The family may have to give up certain privileges due to the amount of money spent on alcohol.

Anyone that is a chronic drinker of alcohol is susceptible to a host of medical problems, which in turn may compound to financial problems (Seilhamer and Jacob 176). Doctor and hospital bills are a large financial burden on a family, which could create more tension and stress. Because many alcoholics drinking interferes with employment, unemployment is closely related to alcoholism (Boggs). Without one possible source of income, and money being spent on an addiction, a family would experience great financial distress. Children may not receive the nutrition and necessities that are needed.

Children of alcoholics often experience social isolation or difficulties (Seilhamer and Jacob 176). Ellen Duffy from the Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters reports that, Children may be ashamed of their home or afraid they will be embarrassed in front of their friends (The Effects of Alcoholism on the Family). So, in order to escape the embarrassment, the children of alcoholics tend to shy away from friendships. The anxiety, depression and avoidance that many children of alcoholics feel lead to withdrawal, isolation and poor social skills over time (Hussong et al. 455). And, because the alcoholic parent or parents are more attentive at sober times than when intoxicated, the children receive a conflicting portrayal of intimacy and family cohesiveness (Seilhamer and Jacob 182).

Modeling Effects Although alcoholism is a genetic disorder, environmental factors are also important in the manifestation of the disease (Windel 9). Children look up to their parents and model their behavior, so it is no surprise that a great number of children of alcoholics turn into alcoholics themselves. Cathy Spatz Wisdom suggests, Early onset and heavy use of alcohol may represent a coping strategy used by abused and neglected children to help them adapt to their early childhood trauma and to distance themselves from the painful realities they experienced (295). The children dealing with parental alcoholism learn from parental actions that to deal with stress or problems, drinking is viable option. This is not a healthy response to stress and the family problems are never resolved. Further Effects According to the pathway described by Seilhamer and Jacob, both the family effects and the ethanol effects lead to disrupted parenting (176).

As mentioned before, alcoholic parents do not provide a consistent and supportive environment (Seilhamer and Jacob 177). In some cases, there is no motivation for children to perform well because parents are too wrapped up in dealing with alcoholism, and pay little attention to accomplishments of the child (Ackerman 7). All of these effects of alcoholism lead to child adjustment difficulties (Seilhamer and Jacob 176). Academic Performance Being in a family of an alcoholic has devastating effects on a childs performance academically. In addition to being at a disadvantage due to being born with cognitive and attentional impairments caused by parental alcoholism, children must face additional hurdles (McGrath et al. 20). Because also...


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Research essay sample on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Children Of Alcoholics

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