Page 54 - Petelin Ana. Ur. 2022. Zdravje otrok in mladostnikov / Health of children and adolescents. Proceedings. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
P. 54
avje otrok in mladostnikov | health of children and adolescents 54 accepted. An important factor are also the sources of help that let a child know
that a safe environment is available when they need it.
Sources of help
In Slovenia, there are relatively few programs dedicated to the treatment of
children from families affected by alcohol addiction. They are mostly based in
the Central Slovenia region, which makes them less approachable for children
who live in other parts of Slovenia. General support is available in different re-
gions from Al-Anon, which is intended for close relatives of a person who has
alcohol addiction, and Ala-Teen, which is intended for teenagers from fami-
lies affected by alcohol addiction (Društvo Al-Anon, n.d.). Few NGOs also of-
fer support to all family members who are recovering from their parents’ or
partners’ addiction.
Knowledge about the disease is one of the key factors of understanding
what is happening in a family affected by alcohol addiction and a step toward
a more constructive way of coping with parental alcohol addiction. It is cru-
cial for children from such families to get as much information as they can
about alcohol addiction. Information is available at the Slovenian Association
for Helping Children of Alcoholics, which is a part of the international NA-
COA network (NACOA Slovenija, n.d.). Information about addiction and its
impact on children is also a welcome contribution for workers in different work
fields, such as primary health, social service, and education, which often en-
counter children from affected families. Knowing the specifics about a child’s
environment helps them take the so-called “person-in environment” approach
(Goeke, 2017).
Due to the frequent experience of stigma, anonymity is often more im-
portant for children seeking support, which is why the various online or tele-
phone counseling services that provide this also fare better (Haverfield and
Theiss, 2014). In Slovenia, they have online counseling services, such as ‘To Sem
jaz’, and a telephone for children and adolescents - the ‘TOM telephone’, which
is intended for children in need of emotional or informational support.
Conclusions
Children from families affected by alcohol addiction are daily exposed to the
insecure, inconsistent environment, stressors, and harmful factors that threat-
en their health. However, there is a fine line between their vulnerability and re-
silience. This line is largely determined by the power ratio between risk factors
and protective factors. Although these children cannot avoid certain risk fac-
tors, strengthening protective factors can reduce the possibility of negative out-
comes.
The environment outside the family also plays an important role in es-
tablishing a supportive environment for children who deal with unstable fam-
ily circumstances. The ecological systems that come into daily contact with
that a safe environment is available when they need it.
Sources of help
In Slovenia, there are relatively few programs dedicated to the treatment of
children from families affected by alcohol addiction. They are mostly based in
the Central Slovenia region, which makes them less approachable for children
who live in other parts of Slovenia. General support is available in different re-
gions from Al-Anon, which is intended for close relatives of a person who has
alcohol addiction, and Ala-Teen, which is intended for teenagers from fami-
lies affected by alcohol addiction (Društvo Al-Anon, n.d.). Few NGOs also of-
fer support to all family members who are recovering from their parents’ or
partners’ addiction.
Knowledge about the disease is one of the key factors of understanding
what is happening in a family affected by alcohol addiction and a step toward
a more constructive way of coping with parental alcohol addiction. It is cru-
cial for children from such families to get as much information as they can
about alcohol addiction. Information is available at the Slovenian Association
for Helping Children of Alcoholics, which is a part of the international NA-
COA network (NACOA Slovenija, n.d.). Information about addiction and its
impact on children is also a welcome contribution for workers in different work
fields, such as primary health, social service, and education, which often en-
counter children from affected families. Knowing the specifics about a child’s
environment helps them take the so-called “person-in environment” approach
(Goeke, 2017).
Due to the frequent experience of stigma, anonymity is often more im-
portant for children seeking support, which is why the various online or tele-
phone counseling services that provide this also fare better (Haverfield and
Theiss, 2014). In Slovenia, they have online counseling services, such as ‘To Sem
jaz’, and a telephone for children and adolescents - the ‘TOM telephone’, which
is intended for children in need of emotional or informational support.
Conclusions
Children from families affected by alcohol addiction are daily exposed to the
insecure, inconsistent environment, stressors, and harmful factors that threat-
en their health. However, there is a fine line between their vulnerability and re-
silience. This line is largely determined by the power ratio between risk factors
and protective factors. Although these children cannot avoid certain risk fac-
tors, strengthening protective factors can reduce the possibility of negative out-
comes.
The environment outside the family also plays an important role in es-
tablishing a supportive environment for children who deal with unstable fam-
ily circumstances. The ecological systems that come into daily contact with
