Mira Roine A-Clinic Foundation

The Social Cost of Alcohol: Passive Drinking

2.2.2010, Brussels

Children living in families with alcohol problems:

the invisible victims

Mira Roine, Development Coordinator, PhD student ENCARE-European Network for Children Affected by Risky Environments within the

family A-Clinic Foundation, Finland

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ENCARE-European Network for Children Affected by Risky

Environments within the Family

-ENCARE runs a number of activities to help children in risky environments-The ChAPAPs project (2007-2010): “Reducing Harm and Building Capacities for Children Affected by Parental Alcohol Problems in Europe (ChAPAPs)”-The mission of the project is to prevent and reduce harm inflicted to children and adolescents caused by familial alcohol problems. Special attention will be given to health inequalities as one serious consequence for affected children and adolescents.

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ENCARE-European Network for Children Affected by Risky

Environments within the Family

The ChAPAPs project (2004-2007)

Coordinator: Catholic University of Applied Sciences North Rhine-Westphalia, Cologne, Germany17 partners across the EUFinancier: European Commission, Directorate-General Health and Consumer Protection

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Children living in families with alcohol problems:The prevalence of the

problem

The ChAPAPs project has collected information on the prevalence of children living in families with a parent who misuses alcohol.

It is difficult to collect accurate data on the prevalence of the problem as problem drinking often remains hidden within the family.

Countries also use different definitions of problematic drinking that are rarely stated: this can make it difficult to tell whether international comparisons are meaningful or misleading.

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The prevalence of the problem

Governments rarely collect national data on the number of children whose parents misuse alcohol.

Not all countries can provide prevalence rates at all and, where they can, the rates differ depending on how the information is collected.

Thus, estimations vary a lot; somewhere between 12% and 21% (4.5 million to 7.9 million children) of the total under 15 years population (37.6 million) in the EU are living in households affected by alcohol.

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The prevalence of the problem

Survey data is the commonest method used by countries to estimate prevalence. Scotland, Finland and Denmark have drawn upon large-scale household surveys.

In Finland, repeated surveys mean that changes can also be monitored over time. From these self-report surveys Finland is able to report that around one in ten members of the population grows up with parents who misuse alcohol (a rate that was unchanged between 1994 and 2004).

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Harms caused by parental alcohol misuse

Alcohol problem impacts e.g. the family’s

•rituals (special occassions)•roles (household management, disciplining etc.)•routines (insecurity in day-to-day activities)•communication (taboos, focusing on alcohol use)•social life (shame, social withdrawal)•finances•parenting capacity (of both the drinking and non-drinking parent)

Loss of family coherence and emotional security

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Harms caused by parental alcohol misuse

Children in families with alcohol problems are subjected to constant stress and insecurity.

Children may develop a plenty of social and health-related problems:•worse physical health•psychological problems like depression, aggression and self-destruction•behavioural disorders (acting-out, withdrawal), difficulties in school, early substance use etc.

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Harms caused by parental alcohol misuse

Many studies identify child maltreatment and domestic violence as common outcomes of parental alcohol problems.

E.g. one cross-European study found that children affected by parental alcohol problems experienced much higher levels of aggression and violence from parents than other children: just over three quarters experienced psychological aggression, and 12% and 9% had been severely physically assaulted by their father and mother respectively. (Velleman; Templeton; Reuber; Klein & Moesgen 2008)

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Policy guidelines

At the moment, most countries have a joint approach to both drugs and alcohol which is led by the same government department(s). Government responsibility for children affected by parental alcohol problems is much less clearly defined: in most instances this specific issue is not recognized in alcohol policies or distinguished from wider alcohol policies.

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Policy guidelines

In the future, we need a more consistent political commitment and motivation to view children affected by parental alcohol problems as a priority and provide necessary services for them.

Adequate funding to resource services is important; also services to identify children affected by parental alcohol problems at an early stage and particularly before parents are provided with treatment.

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Policy guidelines

Effective and coherent alcohol policies that restrict availability of alcohol are of the essence; decrease in consumption leads to decrease in harms, also to children.

Systematic national recording on the prevalence of the problem is urgently needed across the EU.

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Thank You!

Thank you for your attention. If you have any further questions, please contact: mira.roine@a-klinikka.fi