Citation

Smith DK, Johnson AB, Pears KC, Fisher PA, DeGarmo DS. Child Maltreat. 2007; 12(2): 150-160.

Affiliation

Oregon Social Learning Center. danas@oslc.org.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077559507300129

PMID

17446568

Abstract

Parental substance use is a well-documented risk for children. However, little is known about specific effects of prenatal and postnatal substance use on child maltreatment and foster care placement transitions. In this study, the authors unpacked unique effects of (a) prenatal and postnatal parental alcohol and drug use and (b) maternal and paternal substance use as predictors of child maltreatment and foster care placement transitions in a sample of 117 maltreated foster care children. Models were tested with structural equation path modeling. Results indicated that prenatal maternal alcohol use predicted child maltreatment and that combined prenatal maternal alcohol and drug use predicted foster care placement transitions. Prenatal maternal alcohol and drug use also predicted postnatal paternal alcohol and drug use, which in turn predicted foster care placement transitions. Findings highlight the potential integrative role that maternal and paternal substance use has on the risk for child maltreatment and foster care placement transitions.

Language: en