Children's Needs – Parenting Capacity - Digital Education Resource ...

How mental illness, learning disability, substance misuse anddomestic violence affect parenting capacity 77Finally, there are financial implications for children when parental difficultiesresult in families breaking up. It is widely acknowledged that separation and divorcehave financial costs for both parties, with women generally at a disadvantage inthe job and housing market (Hague and Malos 1994). But when families breakup because of domestic violence this is exacerbated because, overwhelmingly, it iswomen and children who have to leave their home. Many will need somewhere safeand secret to go to in the short term and, later, more permanent accommodation.The imposed move and the increased child-care responsibilities often bring withthem job losses for mothers and increased problems for securing alternative work.It is hardly surprising, therefore, to learn that a major reason many women remainwith violent men is their lack of economic resources and having nowhere to go(Hague and Malos 1994; Office of the Tanaiste 1997).Loss of friends and familyParents with poor mental health, learning disabilities, problem substance use anddomestic violence often have poor relationships with their own parents, siblingsand other relatives. For example, research suggests that mothers with learningdisabilities may be among the most socially isolated of parents and thus lack thenetworks of social support from extended family and friends that are often crucialto young families (McConnell et al. 2003). Social isolation was also a factor in thelives of many families referred to children’s social care when there was evidence ofdomestic violence, parental substance misuse or parental learning disability. Socialworkers’ initial assessments identified difficulties in the area of ‘family history andfunctioning’ in some 81-89% of cases where children were living with parents withlearning disabilities, substance misuse or domestic violence 7 (Cleaver et al. 2007;Cleaver and Nicholson 2007). For some parents, childhood adversity and theirown behaviour during adolescence can result in hostility and estrangement fromrelatives.He’s a hard person to be with ... he’s very selfish, very ... I think when people,anybody, that starts using drugs, they totally lose all reality ... they become totallydifferent people...(Sibling of a drug-using man, quoted in Barnard 2007, p.48)Close family relationships and friendships are also placed under increasing strainwhen adults with mental health problems or problem alcohol or drug use start towithdraw from reality or become obsessed with self. Self-absorption bores eventhe most faithful of friends, and bizarre behaviour and incoherent conversation orviolent outbursts generate unease and fear (Kandal et al. 2000).7The statistics provided are the result of a re-analysis of data gathered for two research studies: Cleaver andNicholson 2007 and Cleaver et al. 2007. The research did not cover children living with mentally ill parents and,consequently, such detailed information is not available.