Forensic evaluations of drug endangered children: “My house caught on fire; my cat jumped out the window”

Rashi K. Shukla, Kathy Bell, Elizabeth A. Maier and David C. Newton

Children and Youth Services Review, 2016, vol. 67, issue C, 67-75

Abstract: Although there is a sizeable body of empirical literature examining the health consequences of exposure to drug use and manufacture in childhood, little is known about how drug endangered children themselves perceive their environment and situation. This study examines the types of information obtained from forensic medical evaluations that include the collection of verbal accounts from children about their situations. Forensic medical examination reports of 173 children removed from residences where methamphetamine manufacturing was suspected of occurring were analyzed. The children's verbal accounts highlight themes of hazards and toxins in the home, criminal and delinquent activity among children and caregivers, knowledge of drug-related activity, poor health and well-being, and traumatic law enforcement encounters. Drug endangered children represent a shadow population often overlooked in responses to the drug problem. Drug-related research and responses should prioritize children and their long-term well-being. Further research on the short- and long-term impacts of exposure as well as the social and physical development of these children is needed.

Keywords: Drug endangered children; Methamphetamine; Drug exposure; Child neglect; Parental substance abuse; Forensic nursing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740916301633
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:67:y:2016:i:c:p:67-75

DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.05.018

Access Statistics for this article

Children and Youth Services Review is currently edited by Duncan Lindsey

More articles in Children and Youth Services Review from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().