Family Context and Consumption of Psychoactive Substances in Children between 8 and 12 Years Old

The paper presents the results of an investigation Project UBACYT (Programming 2010/12) “Consumption of psychoactive substances and expectancies towards alcohol in school children between 8 and 12 years old”. The paper studies a clinical sample that receives psychological assistance in a Child Clinical Psychology Unit that depends on Segunda Catedra de Psicoanalisis : Escuela Inglesa, Facultad de Psicologia, Universidad de Buen os Aires, Argentina. It investigates the consumption of these substances in children and their responsible adults. The samples are composed of 55 children (17 girls and 38 boys) and 55 responsible adults (47 women and 8 men). The CORIN (Children Risk Behavior) was administrated to the children, it evaluates risk situations regarding to the use of psychoactive substances in school children; a questionnaire that inquires consumption habits was administrated to parents or responsible adults of these children. Also, a protocol of sociodemographic information was used in order to gather and systematize the information of the medical history. Results and conclusions: the presence of occasional alcohol consumption in the 33% of the children sample was recorded. The existence of alcohol consumption in previous ages than the ones studied by governmental agencies. It must be mentioned that the children have consumed alcohol in festive situations and in company of their responsible adults. Regarding to the responsible adults of these children, important proportions of lifetim e, year and month prevalence of occasional alcohol and tobacco consumption were recorded; also the abusive consumption of these substances. The registered proportions of the consumption of illegal substances are much lower. The study shows an increase in the occasional consumption of alcohol in children when the responsible adult made an abusive use of alcohol and tobacco during the last year and in less extent when the adult used more than one illegal substance (cocaine and marihuana). The consumption of alcohol in children increased significantly when the responsible adults had made abusive use of alcohol in the last month. It is inferred that the occasional consumption of alcohol in children of the age range studied, is associated with the characteristics of their family background and the consumption habits of the responsible adults.