Child Neglect and Addictive Parents

It is estimated that one in four parents that suffer from some form of addiction relapse. The only consequence that they generally face is a slap on the wrist, such as parenting classes and random drug testing. These parents are neglectful. Neglect is defined at Dictionary.com as “failure of caretakers to provide adequate emotional and physical care for a child.” Once these parents lose their children, the government and Child Protective Services usually give them another opportunity to provide care for their children. This is like telling a child “no-no” when they do something wrong then giving them a chocolate chip cookie. This allows the child to continue with the unwanted behavior. Child abuse and neglect laws are very mild and give the neglectful parent many opportunities to continue with old habits. If these laws were harsher and more defined nationwide, the parents would not have the chance to neglect or hurt their children time after time.

A parent with an addiction is willing to sell their child for money or in trade for drugs or other addictive substances. It is commonly heard on the news that a child has been prostituted out because a parent is a drug addict or a child has been sexually abused while the parents were passed out or high. This can be compared to murder. A person who kills, along with any person who is involved, are held in jail until proven guilty or innocent. What is done when a child loses their innocence because and addicted parent is neglectful or violent? The innocence of our nation’s children is lost because of addiction. The children have to grow up too quickly because if they don’t fend for themselves, no one else will. Then these behaviors are passed on to the next generation. It has been proven that behaviors are learned. A child that grows up in an abusive, addictive, or neglectful home is more likely to do the same as adults. The laws should cause long-term consequences considering that the child’s suffering is lifelong. If...