Maternal and paternal drug misuse and outcomes for children: Identifying risk and protective factors

There are estimated to be 250 000–350 000 children of problem drug users in the UK. The Government's Every Child Matters Programme seeks to ensure that vulnerable children affected by parental drug misuse are enabled to achieve their full potential in life. This article critically reviews recent national and international research examining the impact of parental drug misuse on children; focusing on the extent to which within-family risk and protective factors are related to parental gender. The article calls for greater research focus on paternal drug-misusers parenting strategies and makes recommendations.