Protecting the Youngest Victims of Substance Use

The substance use and overdose crises have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and affected millions more. A recent RAND studyfound that more than 40 percent of Americans know someone who died from an overdose.

Children are especially at risk from the impacts of these crises because they suffer the loss of care and support when a parent or caretaker uses substances, becomes involved in the justice system or experiences an overdose as a result of substance misuse.

Additionally, children are at greater risk for harm caused by parents and caregivers with a substance use disorder. According to a 2022 reportby the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, children living with parents who have a substance use disorder are at an increased risk of having a variety of emotional, cognitive, behavioral and social problems, and are more likely to experience maltreatment. Other HHS researchshows that children in households where someone has a substance use disorder are more likely to suffer physical and sexual abuse.

As part of the Office of Justice Programs' efforts to support youth impacted by the substance use and overdose crises, the Office for Victims of Crime supports organizations that understand the impact of a parent's or caretaker's substance misuse on young victims and are dedicated to supporting them by providing advocacy, physical and mental health services and other support services.

During National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, we highlighted some of the OVC-funded programsfocused on protecting and supporting children affected by the substance use and overdose crises.