Alcoholism: Parental Alcoholism and Child Guidance Problems: A Study of Five Male Children Whose Fathers Were Alcoholic and Who Were Under Treatment in the Bureau of Child Guidance in the City of New York in 1963

Background of the Study. Alcoholism has been called the family disease, for every member in such a family is affected by it - economically, socially, physically, spiritually and emotionally. The emotional effects of alcoholic parents on their children has long been accepted as damaging, as we know from the constant references to behavior disturbances among the children of those alcoholics who appear in the courts, in mental hospitals, and in social agencies. The concept that parents in the intimate interaction of the home, significantly influence the personalities of their children, has long been a fundamental tenet of both family o case work and psychoanalysis. The steady sense of security, love and warmth necessary for the adequate development of children, are so predictably absent in a home where one parent is alcoholic, that the child has difficulty in developing the trust and confidence in himself and others that he will need for future successful living. Each parent must play his role - specifically and uniquely, if the child is to have the necessary models and contrasts, and if his identification and self image are clear and well directed. As each parent is able to learn and to play his role properly, he will profoundly affect the roles of the other family members, and most important of all, the emotional climate of the home