| Course | ADC 660 Addiction and Families |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 3 |
| Paper type | Child-focused paper with plans |
| Length | About 1,011 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Psychology and Addiction Studies |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for ADC 660 Module 3
Not Destined, Not Untouched: Supporting Children of Parents With Addictions
Student Name
Psychology and Addiction Studies Program, Aspen University
ADC 660: Addiction and Families
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Not Destined, Not Untouched: Supporting Children of Parents With Addictions
After several sessions with Lisa at the Omaha family program, the counselor turned to her children: Tyler, fifteen, who had begun skipping classes and staying out late, and Emma, ten, who had stomachaches most school mornings and tried to cheer everyone up when her father drank. Lisa worried that Tyler was "turning into his dad." Lisa's family and the program are fictional; what follows draws on research about children in their situation.
How Risk Passes to Adolescents
Chassin et al. (1996) followed adolescents with and without an alcoholic parent over several years. Adolescents with an alcoholic parent showed higher levels of substance use, and the researchers examined why. Part of the explanation lay in the family environment: parental alcoholism was associated with more stress and negative mood in adolescents and with less parental monitoring of their activities, and these in turn predicted greater substance use and affiliation with peers who used substances. The study showed that risk passes not only through genes but through pathways that can be changed, such as monitoring and support.
Diverse Needs
Solis et al. (2012) reviewed research on children whose parents misuse substances and emphasized the diversity of their needs. Some children show emotional problems such as anxiety and depression; others show behavioral problems or difficulties at school; some show few problems at all. Needs vary with the child's age, the parent's substance and its severity, other family problems such as violence or poverty and the support available. The authors argued that services should assess each child's needs rather than assume a single profile, and that prevention programs for these children should be tailored accordingly.
Protective Factors
Velleman and Templeton (2016) described factors that help children do well despite a parent's substance misuse. A stable, supportive relationship with at least one adult, often the nonusing parent, is among the most important. Maintaining family routines and rituals, so that life does not revolve around the parent's use, helps. So do support outside the family, such as from grandparents, teachers or youth workers, and children's understanding that the parent's problem is not their fault and not their responsibility to fix.
| Need | Younger children, like Emma | Adolescents, like Tyler | The family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Understanding | Simple explanation that the drinking is an illness and not her fault | Accurate information about alcohol, risk and choice | Agreed words for talking about it |
| Emotional support | A children's group; a trusted adult | An adolescent group or counselor | Lisa's own support, so she can support them |
| Safety and routine | Predictable evenings; a plan if Glen is drunk | Clear curfew and monitoring | Protected rituals |
| Their own risk | Not applicable at ten, beyond building coping skills | Screening for his own drinking; guidance | Lisa aware of warning signs |
Plans for Each Child
For Emma, the counselor recommended a weekly group where Emma could meet other children whose parents drink, which would let her meet others in the same situation and learn that the problem was not hers to solve. Lisa would keep evenings predictable and plan where Emma could go, her grandmother's or her room with a book, if Glen was drunk. Lisa would also speak with Emma's teacher, who could watch for distress at school.
For Tyler, the counselor recommended an adolescent group and a brief screening of his own drinking and drug use, framed as part of looking after himself rather than an accusation. The screening found occasional weekend drinking with friends. Lisa and the counselor agreed on a plan to increase monitoring, knowing where he was and with whom, without making him feel watched, and Tyler agreed to meet the adolescent counselor twice.
Safety
Children's safety comes first. If Glen's drinking led to violence, driving the children while drunk or leaving them without supervision, child protection concerns would arise, and the counselor would explain her duty to report. She discussed this with Lisa early, framing it as a shared commitment to the children's safety, and helped Lisa prepare a safety plan.
Talking With Children About It
Many families say nothing to children about a parent's drinking, hoping to protect them. Children usually know something is wrong, and silence can leave them filling the gap with guesses, often that they caused it. Velleman and Templeton (2016) list understanding that the problem is not the child's fault among the protective factors. The counselor helped Lisa plan short, honest conversations suited to each child's age. For Emma: "Dad has an illness that makes it hard for him to stop drinking. It is not because of anything you did, and it is not your job to fix it." For Tyler, a longer talk that invited his questions and his anger.
School as Part of the Network
Solis et al. (2012) note that school difficulties are common among these children, and school staff are often the adults outside the family who notice first. With Lisa's permission, the counselor suggested a brief meeting with Emma's teacher and the school counselor, sharing only what they needed to know: that home was stressful and Emma might need a quiet word on hard mornings. For Tyler, the school counselor could follow up on missed classes as a sign of strain rather than a discipline matter alone.
Supporting Lisa Supports the Children
Chassin et al. (1996) found that reduced parental monitoring was one route by which risk reached adolescents, and monitoring takes energy that a stressed parent may lack. Lisa admitted she had stopped asking where Tyler went because she was exhausted from managing Glen. Her own support, through her sessions and a family group, was therefore part of the children's plan. As her strain eased, she found she had more patience for Emma's worries and more energy to keep track of Tyler.
Conclusion
Chassin and colleagues showed that parental alcoholism raises adolescent substance use partly through stress, mood and reduced monitoring, Solis and colleagues described the diversity of children's needs and Velleman and Templeton identified protective factors. For Tyler and Emma, plans matched to their ages build on their mother's support, protected routines and outside help.
References
Chassin, L., Curran, P. J., Hussong, A. M., & Colder, C. R. (1996). The relation of parent alcoholism to adolescent substance use: A longitudinal follow-up study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 105(1), 70-80. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.105.1.70
Solis, J. M., Shadur, J. M., Burns, A. R., & Hussong, A. M. (2012). Understanding the diverse needs of children whose parents abuse substances. Current Drug Abuse Reviews, 5(2), 135-147. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874473711205020135
Velleman, R., & Templeton, L. J. (2016). Impact of parents' substance misuse on children: An update. BJPsych Advances, 22(2), 108-117. https://doi.org/10.1192/apt.bp.114.014449
What the ADC 660 Module 3 instructions ask for
The third module of ADC 660 typically asks for a paper on children of parents with addictions. Follow the Module 3 instructions in your Aspen course; the family here is invented. Review evidence on how parental addiction affects children, including the pathways involved. Describe the range of needs across ages. Identify protective factors and resilience. Recommend supports matched to children's ages and situations. Address safety and when child protection concerns arise. Cite every source in APA 7, and write about children in ways that do not predict their futures for them. Where your prompt names a setting such as a school or a pediatric clinic, describe what that setting can offer, and say how you would involve the nonusing parent.
How this ADC 660 Module 3 example is built
Tyler, fifteen, and Emma, ten, are the composite children of Lisa and Glen in Omaha. A longitudinal study by Chassin and colleagues shows parental alcoholism predicting adolescent substance use through stress, negative affect and reduced monitoring. A 2012 review by Solis and colleagues describes children's varied needs. Protective factors come from Velleman and Templeton's 2016 update. A four-row table matches needs to supports for younger children, adolescents and the family. Tyler is offered an adolescent group and a check on his own drinking; Emma, a children's group and a plan for safe evenings. The paper also covers how to talk with children about a parent's drinking, what Emma's school can do and how Lisa's own support protects both children.
ADC 660 Module 3 rubric: what earns full marks
Child-focused papers earn credit for accurate evidence on pathways of risk, attention to resilience and supports matched to age. This example uses a longitudinal study to explain how risk passes to adolescents, which points to targets such as monitoring and stress. It recognizes the diversity of children's needs rather than assuming one profile. Protective factors are turned into concrete supports. Each child's plan fits their age. Safety is addressed with a clear threshold for child protection involvement. The section on talking with children gives the nonusing parent practical words rather than general advice. School is treated as part of the support network, and the paper recognizes that the nonusing parent's own strain affects the children, so supporting her is part of supporting them.
ADC 660 Module 3 help: mistakes that cost marks
Child-focused papers often present these children as doomed or as uniformly damaged. Report risks with the pathways that explain them, and give equal weight to resilience. Match supports to age: younger children need reassurance and routine; adolescents need someone to talk to and attention to their own substance use. Address safety directly. Involve the nonusing parent as the child's most important protective resource. Avoid labels such as "children of alcoholics" as identities; they describe a circumstance, not who a child is. Finally, remember the siblings may need different things at the same moment; a single family plan rarely fits a ten-year-old and a fifteen-year-old equally well.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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ADC 660 Module 3 questions, answered
What does ADC 660 Module 3 usually ask for?
Aspen's ADC 660 covers children of parents with addictions in this module, so a paper on their risks, resilience and supports is typical. Look at your Module 3 prompt.
Are children of parents with alcohol problems more likely to use substances?
Yes, on average. Chassin and colleagues found higher adolescent substance use, explained partly by stress, negative mood and reduced parental monitoring.
What protects children whose parents have addictions?
Velleman and Templeton describe a stable relationship with a caring adult, maintained family routines, outside support and understanding that the problem is not the child's fault.
Where can I find a free ADC 660 Module 3 sample paper?
This page has the full paper: evidence on risk pathways, children's diverse needs, protective factors and support plans for two siblings.
Do all children of parents with addictions have problems?
No. Many do well, and Solis and colleagues emphasize that their needs are diverse; risk is higher on average but not destiny.