Parents' drink and drug abuse damaging lives of their children

More than 100 youngsters call ChildLine each week to talk about their parents' addictions, with many saying they were also being beaten, sexually abused or neglected.

One 10-year-old told ChildLine: "My mum drinks all the time. She leaves me alone lots of the time. I feel scared and lonely. I look after mum when she drinks and put her to bed. She shouts and hits me. I don't want to feel pain. I want to die."

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), which runs the free helpline, said some children were trying to cope with the traumatic role reversal of attempting to look after their parents, brothers and sisters.

Yet despite the burden of responsibility they were more concerned with solving their families' problems than their own.

One in five youngsters calling about their parents' drink or drug abuse were aged five to 11.

Youngsters calling about their parents' excessive drinking were more than three times as likely to mention suffering physical abuse.

A 13-year-old boy said: "My mum is an alcoholic. I need to stop mum and dad arguing and fighting.

"I feel upset at the way my dad treats her. I feel sad because she goes off for days and drinks. I have not told anyone about what is happening. I like to keep it a secret."

Christine Mellor, assistant director for ChildLine in Yorkshire and the North East, said: "The fallout from parental drug and alcohol abuse is a ticking timebomb in many children's lives.

"The ChildLine service has given a voice to these hidden children, many of whom feel they have a shameful secret to hide. Many have never told anyone before calling us.

"Children living with parental alcohol and drug problems are at more risk of harm and we need to find ways of helping them sooner. But we must also remember they can be fiercely protective of their parents.

"One young girl's first comment to the ChildLine counsellor was 'I don't want anything to happen to my mother'."

Parental drug misuse was reported as a problem in the lives of 2,300 children given counselling by ChildLine. They were almost six times more likely to call about their own drug misuse than others who called.

One 12-year-old boy said: "My dad is beating me and my younger brother. Dad injects something into his arm and shouts at me and beats me. My brother and I have bruises. My teachers see this and when they ask I tell them I had a fall."

Ms Mellor added: "Some children told ChildLine about their parents' severe mood swings, episodes of violence, and emotional instability. Some said their parents were regularly sick, and that caring for them had affected their schooling, or prevented them forming friendships with other children.

"These children desperately need help to tackle their problems but feel they have no one to turn to. So they often end up caring for their siblings and even their own parents by themselves."

Chris Sorek, chief executive of charity Drinkaware, said: "Lots of parents might be horrified to learn of the number of young people seeking help as a result of parental alcoholism but the news should serve as a timely reminder that you don't have to be an alcoholic to have a direct impact on your children.

"Regularly drinking to excess in front of children will only normalise alcohol misuse but it's important this pattern within the family unit is broken to ensure young people grow up to have a healthy relationship with alcohol."