An Examination of Dysfunctional Latency Age Children of Alcoholic Parents and Problems in Intervention

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Abstract
Children of alcoholic parents can develop problems in interpersonal relationships as a response to impaired parental functions. Sometimes these can be alleviated through short term supportive educative counseling. However, if the relationship style has become so impaired as to be dysfunctional, the child may need more intensive treatment. If treatment is needed, it should include the educative counseling and other ingredients common to all therapeutic intervention with children of alcoholics. In addition, the child's own behavior needs to be closely examined and interpretations need to be made to correct the faulty relationship style. Treatment with children of alcoholic parents presents a number of issues for the therapist that are not as likely to arise with children from non-alcoholic homes. These issues include the parent's role in treatment and how the drinking affects the child. By understanding how the child's problems in interpersonal relationships can be a response to impaired parental functioning, understanding how the parent's impaired functioning affects treatment, and making accurate interpretations to the child, latency age children of alcoholic parents can correct their faulty relationship styles through successful treatment.

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