Child abuse and alcohol misuse in a victim: The role of ethnic and societal factors

The case report describes a co-occurrence of child abuse, autistic symptoms, and excessive alcohol consumption in the victim’s adolescence and early adulthood. The conclusion is that environmental factors such as physical and psychological abuse may contribute to the appearance of autistic traits. Abnormal behaviors partly compatible with the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be adaptive. Alcohol is consumed by some autistic adolescents to maintain friendships and gain access to relationships. Besides, loitering with groups of juvenile alcohol consumers is a way of escape from domestic violence. The role of ethnicity-related and other societal factors is discussed. © 2018 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.