PARENTAL DRUG-USE AND THE SOCIALIZATION OF AIDS KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES IN CHILDREN

Children aged 6 to 18 who had a parent enrolled in drug treatment were matched on the child's age, sex, and ethnicity and on the parent's le vel of education with children from a community sample. They were comp ared with respect to parents' knowledge of I-W transmission, parents' efforts to teach their children (ages 6 to 18) about HN and AIDS, and children's knowledge and attitudes regarding AIDS, Children of drug-ab using parents had more direct and indirect experience with people affe cted by AIDS than other children, and they demonstrated more knowledge of HN transmission, once other variables were controlled, Overall, ho wever, few group differences in parents' knowledge and socialization e fforts or in children's AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes were obse rved. Although children of drug abusers appear to be learning as much as other children about HN and AIDS, they nonetheless deserve special attention as a group at risk for HIV infection.