This literary analysis examines the emergence of children of alcoholics narratives and their growth from "resource" texts to literary subgenre. While early texts offer useful information about parental alcoholism, they are also limited. Namely, they do not adequately mirror the diversity of children, families, and problems associated…

Despite the research documenting the occurrence of alcoholism in families, little is known about how alcoholism is transmitted from one generation to the next or what causes several members of the same family to abuse alcohol. To date, the most consistent findings among school-aged children are reports of cognitive differences. Health problems,…

Reviews recent literature, finding support for hypothesis that power of alcoholic parent within household is related to whether offspring become alcoholic. In considering reasons for this relationship, suggests that children and adolescents are more likely to emulate and identify with powerful alcoholic parent and, thus, learn that alcohol can…

The stated objectives of this document are: to increase awareness of and clarify the risks facing children of substance abusers (COSAs) through a review of recent empirical research literature; and to examine the prevention and intervention issues involved in providing services to these youth in the schools. The literature review deals mainly with…

This document presents a conceptual framework within which to view variability in parental alcoholism and children's exposure to alcoholism. The framework considers both individual characteristics of the children and ecological factors. A review of relevant literature on stress, coping, and adaptation among children and adolescents examines the…

Although alcoholism has long been considered a serious problem, the impact of parental alcoholism on children has only recently begun to receive attention from researchers and clinicians. A review of the empirical literature on children of alcoholics was conducted and it was concluded that children raised in an alcoholic family are at increased…

Although it has been estimated that 28,000,000 Americans may be children of alcoholics, these individuals have only recently been given serious attention by researchers and clinicians. Empirical studies pertaining to the effects of having alcoholic parents were reviewed and several clusters of characteristics were derived from the findings: (1)…

In the last few years, a vast amount of research has accumulated with respect to American children's use of legal and illicit drugs. This research has included cross-sectional studies (which have attempted to determine current drug usage, age of onset for each drug used, and maximum frequency of use in the lifetime); longitudinal studies (which…

Outlines a small group model that provides elementary school counselors with a creative way to help children of alcoholics build resiliency and develop protective strategies. Emphasizes the importance of the school counselor in taking a proactive approach and reaching out to help children develop the skills needed to survive an alcoholic home.…

School personnel are concerned about the effects of family-of-origin issues on students' academic performance and psychological development. One area that has drawn particular interest in recent years is that of students who are children of alcoholics (COAs). Most literature related to student COAs has emphasized the idea that families with an…

This quarterly publication, issued by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), contains articles dealing with family violence and alcohol abuse, children of alcoholic parents, training programs for counselors, and confidentiality of client records. The three articles on alcohol abuse suggest that: (1) there is a clear…

This paper was developed as a result of a 1999 conference on substance abuse and learning disabilities. An introductory chapter urges early identification of learning disabilities and appropriate treatment for both problems when they co-exist. The second chapter discusses the differences between learning disabilities and behavioral disorders, the…

This document reviews the literature on the following: (1) studies on the nature of the Hispanic family; (2) studies on the prevalence of Hispanic alcohol use and abuse; (3) general impact studies on the consequences for children of family alcoholism; and (4) studies of family factors that appear to protect or shield high risk children from the…

This document, written for caregivers and professionals working in the fields of education, recreation, and health and social services, presents information about issues and strategies in the provision of services to children from alcoholic families. The first chapter discusses the effects of alcoholism on the family and reviews a whole system of…

The drug problem among blacks in the United States is analyzed, focusing on low-income communities and the involvement of children. Interviews with more than 30 community-based black professionals in Washington (District of Columbia), Cleveland (Ohio), and San Francisco (California), whose jobs place them in daily contact with the drug problem,…