

What about the Kids? Domestic Violence and the Effects on Babies and Children
By Judge Carroll Kelly, 11th Judicial Circuit, ckelly@jud11.flcourts.orgEvery day, our courts address domestic violence issues involving individuals who are parents. What happens to the children who are exposed to domestic violence? They are more than just innocent...Substance Use Disorder
Presently in the United States, nearly 9 million children live with at least one parent who suffers from a Substance Use Disorder, including alcohol (SUD). This constitutes no less than 12% of all children in the United States. Fifty percent of those suffering from a SUD, also suffer from a co-occurring mental health issue such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder.
Effects of Substance Use Disorder
The ways in which parental substance and alcohol use disorder affect children are sometimes dramatic, sometimes subtle; sometimes instantaneous, sometimes chronic; sometimes they can be overcome, sometimes they are forever, but they are always powerful and enduring in the memories of children.
