Skip to main content

Adolescent Children of Alcoholics on Disclosure, Support, and Assessment of Trustworthy Adults

Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal volume 28, pages 133–151 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

The aim of this study is to describe adolescent children of alcoholics’ (COA) perspectives on disclosure and support. COA reported assessing the trustworthiness of adults before disclosing their home situation. Before disclosure they may have raised their own level of consciousness, told a peer, told an adult stranger, or in-directly communicated with an adult. These findings are the result of interviews with 27 adolescents attending support groups for COA in Sweden. Adults, who ask questions, listen carefully and cooperate with the child/adolescent, and who are knowledgeable about families with alcohol problems, are considered as supportive and trustworthy. The adolescents reported psychological, communicative, environmental, and generational aspects of the disclosure process.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price includes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  • Armstrong, C., Hill, M., & Secker, J. (2000). Young people’s perceptions of mental health. Children and Society, 14, 60–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Backlund, Å. (2007). Elevvård i grundskolan: resurser, organisering och praktik. [Pupil welfare in Swedish schools: Resources, organization and practice]. Doctoral thesis. Stockholm: Stockholm University.

  • Black, C. (2007). COA support groups. Retrieved May 15, 2007 from www.nacoa.org/coasupp.htm.

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (2000). Ecological systems theory. In A. Kazdin (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Psychology (pp. 129–133). Washington DC: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brunnberg, E. (2005). Att tala med och lyssna på barn. In Regeringskansliet, Mötet med barnet. Barnkompetens inom hälso- och sjukvården (pp. 46–49). [Talking and listening to children.] Stockholm: Socialdepartementet.

  • Brunnberg, E., Eriksson, C., & Tinnfält, A. (2007). Att ha minst en förälder som missbrukar alkohol. Om psykisk ohälsa och utvärderande interventioner. [Having at least one parent who abuses alcohol. About mental health problems and evaluated interventions.] Stockholm: Socialstyrelsen.

  • Brunnberg, E., & Larsson Sjöberg, K. (2006). Barnrelaterade avhandlingar i socialt arbete 1980–2006. [Child-related dissertations in Social work 1980–2006]. Örebro: Örebro universitet.

  • Casas-Gil, M. J., & Navarro-Guzman, J. I. (2002). School characteristics among children of alcoholic parents. Psychological Report, 90, 341–348.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chalder, M., Elgar, F. J., & Bennett, P. (2005). Drinking and motivations to drink among adolescent children of parents with alcohol problems. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 41(1), 107–113.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christensen, E. (1997). Aspects of a preventive approach to support children of alcoholics. Child Abuse Review, 6, 24–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, S. J., Griffiths, S., & Kumalo, M. (2005). Patterns of disclosure in child sexual abuse. South African Journal of Psychology, 35(2), 270–285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cuijpers, P. (2005). Prevention programmes for children of problem drinkers: A review. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 12(6), 465–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeLucia, C., Belz, A., & Chassin, L. (2001). Do adolescent symptomatology and family environment vary over time with fluctuations in paternal alcohol impairment? Developmental Psychology, 37(1), 207–216.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emshoff, J. G., & Valentine, L. (2006). Supporting adolescent children of alcoholics. The Prevention Researcher, 13(4), 18–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrer-Wreder, L., Stattin, H., Cass Lorente, C., Tubman, J., & Adamson, L. (2005). Framgångsrika preventionsprogram för barn och unga. En forskningsöversikt. [Successful prevention and youth development programs: Across borders.]. Institutet för utveckling av metoder i socialt arbete, Statens institutionsstyrelse and Förlagshuset Gothia.

  • Fischerman, M. (2000). Identification of children from alcohol-affected homes. International Journal of Social Welfare, 9, 136–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gance-Cleveland, B. (2004). Qualitative evaluation of a school-based support group for adolescents with an addicted parent. Nursing Research, 53(6), 379–386.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graneheim, U. H., & Lundman, B. (2004). Qualitative content analysis in nursing research: concepts, procedures and measures to achieve trustworthiness. Nurse Education Today, 24, 105–112.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, T. K., Gulbrandsen, W., Mossige, S., Reichelt, S., & Tjersland, O. A. (2005). Reporting possible sexual abuse: A qualitative study on children’s perspectives and the context for disclosure. Child Abuse and Neglect, 29(12), 1395–1413.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johansson, A., Brunnberg, E., & Eriksson, C. (2007). Adolescent girls’ and boys’ perceptions of mental health. Journal of Youth Studies, 10(2), 183–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johansson, A., & Ehnfors, M. (2006). Mental health promoting dialogue of school health nurses from the perspective of adolescent pupils. Nordic Journal of Nursing Research and Clinical Studies, 10(2), 10–13, 19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kitzinger, J., & Barbour, R. (1999). Introduction: The challenge and promise of focus groups. In R. Barbour & J. Kitzinger (Eds.), Developing focus group research. Politics, theory and practice (pp. 1–20). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knight, S. M. (1993). Identifying and labelling school-aged children of alcoholics: Insights voiced by academic attainers who are daughters of alcoholics. Journal of Health Education, 24(4), 196–202.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kroll, B. (2004). Living with an elephant: Growing up with parental substance misuse. Child and Family Social Work, 9, 129–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krueger, R. A. (1994). Focus groups. A practical guide for applied research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumpfer, K. L., Pinyuchon, M., Teixeira de Melo, A., & Whiteside, H. O. (2008). Cultural adaptation process for international dissemination of the Strengthening Families Program. Evaluation & the Health Professions, 31(2), 226–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lambie, G., & Sias, S. (2005). Children of alcoholics: Implications for professional school counseling. Professional School Counselling, 3, 266–273.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. S. (1993). From psychological stress to the emotions: A history of changing outlooks. Annual Review Psychology, 44, 1–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindstein, T. (1997). Unga vid Vändpunkten. Att arbeta med ungdomar vars föräldrar missbrukar. [Young people at Vändpunkten. Working with adolescents whose parents are substance abusers]. Stockholm: Förlagshuset Gothia.

  • Lindstein, T. (2001). Vändpunkten – ur barnens och ungdomarnas perspektiv. [Vändpunkten – From the perspective of the children and adolescents]. Stockholm: Förlagshuset Gothia.

  • Lipsky, S., Caetano, R., Field, C. A., & Larkin, G. L. (2004). Psychosocial and substance-use risk factors for intimate partner violence. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 78(1), 39–47.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madge, N., Hewitt, A., Hawton, K., de Wilde, E.J., Corcoran, P., Fekete, S., van Heeringen, K., De Leo, D., & Ystgaard, M. J. (2008). Deliberate self-harm within an international community sample of young people: Comparative findings from the Child & Adolescent Self-harm in Europe (CASE) Study. Child Psychology Psychiatry, 49(6), 667–677. Uxbridge, UK: School of Health Sciences and Social Care, Brunel University.

  • Mathews, B., & Bros, D. (2008). Mandated reporting is still a policy with reason: Empirical evidence and philosophical grounds. Child Abuse and Neglect, 32, 511–516.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morey, C. K. (1999). Children of alcoholics: A school-based comparative study. Journal of Drug Education, 29(1), 63–75.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, D. L. (1997). Focus groups as qualitative research. Newbury Park: Sage Publications, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, B. L. (1998). Perceptions of adolescents living with parental alcoholism. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 5, 525–534.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mylant, M., Ide, B., Cuevas, E., & Meehan, M. (2002). Adolescent children of alcoholics: Vulnerable or resilient? Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association., 8, 57–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nastasi, B. K. (1995). Is early identification of children of alcoholics necessary for preventive intervention? Reaction to Havey and Dodd. Journal of School Psychiatry, 33(4), 327–345.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nixon, M. K., Cloutier, P., & Jansson, M. (2008). Nonsuicidal self-harm in youth: A population-based survey. CMAJ, 178(3), 306–312.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Omarzu, J. (2000). A disclosure decision model: Determining how and when individuals will self-disclose. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 4(2), 174–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peleg-Oren, N. (2002a). Drugs—not here!—model of group intervention as preventive therapeutic tool for children of drug addicts. Journal of Drug Education, 32(3), 245–259.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peleg-Oren, N. (2002b). Group intervention for children of drug-addicted parents—Using expressive techniques. Clinical Social Work Journal, 30(4), 403–418.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poon, E., Ellis, D., Fitzgerald, H. E., & Zucker, R. A. (2000). Intellectual, cognitive, and academic performance among sons of alcoholics during the early school years: Differences related to subtypes of familial alcoholism. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 24(7), 1020–1027.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riddle, J., & Bergin, J. J. (1997). Effect of group counselling on the self-concept of children of alcoholics. Elementary School Guidance & Counseling, 31(3), 192–203.

    Google Scholar 

  • Save the Children (2006). Barnets bästa kräver resurser! – om kommunernas ansvar för barn som far illa. Rapport 4. När samhället sviker barn som far illa. [The best interests of the child requires resources!—About the responsibility of municipalities for children at risk of abuse and neglect.] Retrieved September 29, 2006 from www.rb.se.

  • Schukit, M. A., Smith, T. L., Hesselbrock, V., Bucholz, K. K., Bierut, L., Edenberg, H., et al. (2008). Clinical implications of tolerance to alcohol in nondependent young drinkers. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 34, 133–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schukit, M. A., Smith, T. L., Pierson, J., Danko, G. P., Allen, R. C., & Kreikebaum, S. (2007). Patterns and correlates of drinking in offspring from the San Diego prospective study. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 31(10), 1681–1691.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SFS 2001:453. Socialtjänstlagen. [The Social Welfare Act].

  • SFS 2003:460. Law (2003:460) for ethical review of research involving humans. Retrieved October 11, 2010 from http://www.epn.se/start/regulations/the-act-(2003460).aspx.

  • Shaoloub-Kevorkian, N. (2005). Disclosure of child abuse in conflict areas. Violence Against Women, 11, 1263–1291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skoog, T. (2008). On the developmental significance of female pubertal timing. Doctoral dissertation. Örebro University.

  • Statham, J. (2004). Effective services to support children in special circumstances. Child: Care, Health and Development, 30(6), 589–598.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Svedin, C. G., & Back, C. (2003). Varför berättar de inte? Om att utnyttjas i barnpornografi. [Why don’t they tell? To be abused in child pornography.] Stockholm: Save the children.

  • United Nations (1989). UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved March 7, 2010 from www.un.org.

  • Velleman, R., & Orford, J. (1999). Risk and resilience, adults who were the children of problem drinkers. The Netherlands: Overseas Publishers Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Webb, M., Heisler, D., Call, S., Chickering, S. A., & Colburn, T. A. (2007). Shame, guilt, symptoms of depression, and reported history of psychological maltreatment. Child Abuse and Neglect, 31, 1143–1153.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Werner, M. J., Joffe, A., & Graham, A. V. (1999). Screening, early identification, and office-based intervention with children and youth living in substance-abusing families. Pediatrics Supplement, 103, 1099–1112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zetterlund, U., Ekdahl, H., Hansson, K., Sonestedt, J., Ljungblad, R., Eklöf, V., et al. (1999). Gruppsamtal för barn till missbrukare. [Group discussions for children of substance abusers]. Socialmedicinsk Tidskrift, 1, 98–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zucker, R. A., & Wong, M. M. (2006). Prevention for children of alcoholics and other high risk groups. In M. Galanter (Ed.), Alcohol problems in adolescents and young adults. Epidemiology, neurobiology, prevention, and treatment. New York: Springer Science Business Media, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are very grateful to the adolescents who so willingly participated in this study. The School of Health and Medical Sciences, and Stiftelsen Solstickan, Swedish Match, supported the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health and Medical Sciences, Örebro University, 701 82, Orebro, Sweden

    Agneta Tinnfält

  2. School of Health and Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Orebro, Sweden

    Charli Eriksson

  3. School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Malardalen, Sweden

    Elinor Brunnberg

Authors
  1. Agneta Tinnfält
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Charli Eriksson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elinor Brunnberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Agneta Tinnfält.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tinnfält, A., Eriksson, C. & Brunnberg, E. Adolescent Children of Alcoholics on Disclosure, Support, and Assessment of Trustworthy Adults. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 28, 133–151 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-011-0225-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-011-0225-1

Keywords

  • Bronfenbrenner
  • Dialogue
  • Identification
  • Narrative
  • Process