DEVIANCE AMONG THE CHILDREN OF HEROIN-ADDICTS IN TREATMENT - IMPACT OF PARENTS AND PEERS

Criminological theories and research have stressed the importance of f amily factors in understanding delinquency and substance use. Much wor k has documented the elevated risk of various problem behaviors faced by the children of drug users, as well as the factors that mediate the ir risk. This study examined a unique sample of high-risk children who se parents were receiving methadone treatment for opiate addiction. A model was developed and tested to estimate the impact of positive fami ly management practices, maternal attachment, and deviant peers on del inquency, initiation of substance use, and misbehavior involving schoo l and police sanctions. Positive family management practices showed li ttle effect on reducing problem behaviors among these children of meth adone clients, unlike in the general population. Similarly, the effect of maternal attachment was relatively weak and varied with age of the child.