120-134). This appears to prove the fact that substance abuse is linked to child abuse, including physical and sexual abuse, as well as emotional and physical neglect. Moreover, substance abuse is linked to a bevy of other social problems that can also impact children in a negative way, including domestic abuse, and mental health difficulties (Locke and Newcomb, 2004). Thus, children raised by alcoholics may be burdened with an entire range of issues, such that their opportunities for normal childhood development are slim. This is most likely to be true for young children, who are much less able to protect themselves from family dysfunction, being utterly dependent upon their parents.
Sure enough, global research tells us that having an alcoholic parent can impact the physical and mental health of children, and affect the child's behaviors. Particularly, research indicates that alcohol abuse is likely to lead to child abuse. In the USA, it is estimated that up to 80% of all children involved in the child welfare system have parents who abuse alcohol. In Britain, it appears that substance abuse is most common in the most serious cases of child abuse. One researcher concluded that substance abuse was the "highest single indicator as poor health and criminal behavior are also linked to this " (Hayden, 2004, p. 19-20). To complicate matters further, parents who are substance abusers are less willing to work with social workers. Hayden (2004) notes that the problem is made worse by the fact that alcoholics are almost by definition frequently in denial. Locke and Newcomb (2004), add that "Overall, it appears that drug-using parents are more likely to lead unconventional lifestyles and endorse nonconventional values, and these values influence their role and functioning as parents. For instance, substance-using parents have been shown to display poor parenting skills, provide inadequate supervision of their children, and discipline their children in a lax or coercive manner.