Reflections on the Development of Children of Alcoholics

The specific purpose of this study was to try and understand why unique experiences of living with an alcoholic parent could create developmental deficits which emotionally challenge COAs' when faced with the life lessons a college environment offers. This study offered four possible explanations for experiencing challenges in its theoretical background: (1) psychosocial development, (2) the epistemology of alcoholism and its effects on the family, (3) personality development and the concurrence of building resilience, and (4) the college environment itself, with the phenomenon of binge drinking--forcing COAs to confront family alcoholism. A total of 7 participated in this study--4 men and 3 women. Despite the dynamic differences in the answers overall, all 7 participants acknowledged one important concept. When the participants were asked about their own drinking habits, each participant said, though in different ways, they had to be careful with their drinking habits. Participants seemed to be aware that whether alcoholism is genetic or a learned addiction, they were at risk of becoming alcoholics themselves. This study found overall, as previous literature suggests, no matter how COAs are studied, they are found to be a heterogeneous population. Specifically, this study's results points out that they are indeed heterogeneous, yet similar in that all participants in this study, it could be argued, exhibit some vulnerability in regard to parental alcoholism.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of North Texas

Year dc:date

2001

Author dc:creator

• Weise, Molly Amanda

Contributors dc:contributor

• Glover, Rebecca
• Jacobson, Arminta
• Bold, Mary

• Adult children of alcoholics -- Psychology.
• College students -- Psychology.
• binge drinking
• children of alcoholics
• family alcoholism
• developmental deficits
• college environment
• resilience

Statement dc:rights

• Use restricted to UNT Community
• Copyright
• Molly Amanda Weise
• Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

oclc: 50632100
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2742/
ark: ark:/67531/metadc2742

OAI identifier oai:identifier

info:ark/67531/metadc2742