3 Parental Incarceration
Bailie Featherston
Introduction
Parental incarceration has emerged as a situation many children experience. Specifically, “2.6 million U.S. children currently have a parent who is incarcerated,” (Poehlmann-Tynan & Turney, 2020). As a result of this environment, “children with incarcerated parents often experience more adversity,” (Poehlmann-Tynan & Turney, 2020). Having a parent in prison increases the risk for many physical and mental health problems. Additionally, the lack of a relationship between parent and child leads to other issues, such as decreased performance in school and an increased likelihood of intergenerational incarceration. Using knowledge about parental incarceration, interventions can help reduce the associated health risks and improve children’s overall well-being.
Effects on Physical Health
Parental incarceration greatly affects the physical dimension of health. According to Lee et al. (2013), study results suggest that having a parent in prison is associated with multiple childhood developmental health issues. Specifically, physical health risks include high cholesterol, HIV/AIDS, headaches, and asthma. Possible reasons for this are chronic stress and the absence of parental instruction, leading to risky health behaviors (Lee et al., 2013). Chronic stress can put a strain on the body’s systems and increase the risk for physical health issues. Also, lack of supervision may lead to a child having risky sex or using drugs, which can negatively impact physical health.
Effects on Mental Health
Besides physical effects, there is also an impact on children’s mental health. In reference to the study performed by Lee et al. (2013), results show links between parental incarceration and mental health issues. Children who had at least one parent in prison were 1.4 to 1.7 times as likely to develop a mental health problem. Some of the mental health conditions include posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. The connections between mental health issues and having a parent in prison can be due to the absence of a steady parental relationship, the stigma of having a jailed parent, and increased exposure to stress (Lee et al., 2013). Changes in the home, lack of set daily structure, and an increased sense of responsibility cause children’s stress levels to increase without a sustained parent-child relationship.
Effects on Education
Aside from health effects, parental incarceration also impacts children’s educational outcomes. A study conducted by Shlafer et al. (2017) revealed negative school outcomes for children in public schools who experienced having a parent in prison. Specifically, this study states, “youth with a parent currently incarcerated had significantly lower odds of getting ‘As’ and ‘Bs’ compared to peers with no history of parental incarceration,” (Shlafer et al., 2017). Many students with a parent in jail also display behavior problems in school. These disciplinary issues often result from the lonely and abandoned feelings these children experience (Shlafer et al., 2017).
Intergenerational Incarceration
In addition to the educational effects, having a parent in prison can also increase the likelihood of the child finding themselves in prison later in life. When this cycle of incarceration repeats itself, this is called intergenerational incarceration. Respectively, “children of incarcerated parents are, on average, six times more likely to become incarcerated themselves,” (Martin, 2017).
According to Martin (2017), relatives of people in prison are often forgotten victims due to the low level of help they receive as they adapt to a major change. The author found that these children are under great mental strain and often act out through their own criminal activity. According to the research, “children of incarcerated mothers had much higher rates of incarceration…than children of incarcerated fathers,” (Martin, 2017). These findings may result from family environments where the mother has become the main caregiver. This sudden removal of the mother creates stress and confusion, as the child must learn to be more independent. While independence may appear to be a positive coping skill, this leads to a higher risk of the child being involved in criminal activity and being in prison later in life. Adverse childhood experiences, like having a parent in prison, often impact children’s toughness when facing difficult situations (Martin, 2017).
Resources
After identifying parental incarceration’s impact on youth, interventions can help reduce the risk of issues children may experience. In the absence of the traditional parent-child bond, alternative caregivers range from relatives, family friends, teachers, doctors, and any adult who has some responsibility to care for children. These individuals can get information about available resources to help support the child. Below are some resources and programs for caregivers:
- Child Protective Services (CPS)
- CPS will assess the child’s home situation and see if another guardian is there to take care of the child. If there is no alternative caregiver, children of incarcerated parents will be taken into CPS custody to care for them (Berger et al., 2016).
- C.A.R.E.S. approach
- This approach can be used to help create a stable environment for the child. The approach includes strategies of creating a comfortable place where the child feels able to share thoughts, acknowledging any worries the child has, reassuring the child they have support, encouraging activities to help grow the child’s abilities, and sharing information the child may be able to relate with (Martoma, 2020).
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- TANF is a government-funded program that can help relieve the financial burden when caring for the child of an incarcerated parent. This program includes support in the forms of finding childcare aid, preparing for jobs, and helping in the workplace.
Key Takeaways
- Parental absence and increased levels of chronic stress can negatively impact children’s physical health.
- Some of the most common mental health conditions children with jailed parents experience are PTSD, depression, and anxiety.
- Children of incarcerated parents have been found to have lower grades, as well as more behavioral problems in school.
- Having a parent in prison increases the likelihood of intergenerational incarceration.
- Caregivers can intervene by using CPS, the C.A.R.E.S. approach, or other government programs like TANF.
- Overall, with stable routines and caregiver support, the health risks for children with incarcerated parents can be reduced.
References
Berger, L. M., Cancian, M., Cuesta, L., & Noyes, J. (2016, May). Families at the intersection of the criminal justice and child protective services systems. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 665(1), 171-194. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6044461/#:~:text=There%20are%20multiple%20reasons%20why,and%20mechanically%20cause%20parental%20incarceration.
ChildCare.gov. (n.d.). Child protective services. https://childcare.gov/consumer-education/child-protective-services
Lee, R. D., Fang, X., & Luo, F. (2013). The impact of parental incarceration on the physical and mental health of young adults. Pediatrics, 131(4). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2012-0627
Martin, E. (2017, March 1). Hidden consequences: The impact of incarceration on dependent children. National Institute of Justice. https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/hidden-consequences-impact-incarceration-dependent-children
Martoma, R. (2020). Tips to support children when a parent is in prison. HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Building-Resilience/Pages/Tips-to-Support-Children-When-a-Parent-is-in-Prison.aspx
Office of Family Assistance. (2020). Temporary assistance for needy families (TANF). https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ofa/programs/temporary-assistance-needy-families-tanf
Poehlmann‐Tynan, J., & Turney, K. (2020). A developmental perspective on children with incarcerated parents. Child Development Perspectives, 15(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12392
Shlafer, R. J., Reedy, T., & Davis, L. (2017, September). School-based outcomes among youth with incarcerated parents: Differences by school setting. The Journal of School Health. 87(9), 687-695. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5657233/
the state of a parent being confined to prison or jail by the criminal justice system
the cycle of imprisonment repeating itself through a family line
a condition in which high amounts of fats circulate through the bloodstream that can cause heart attack and stroke if not attended to
human immunodeficiency virus; either of two retroviruses that infect and destroy helper T cells of the immune system causing a reduction in their number
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; a disease of the human immune system that is characterized by low numbers of helper T cells which renders the person highly vulnerable to life-threatening conditions
a chronic lung disorder that is characterized by recurring episodes of airway obstruction and bronchi spasms; often seen through labored breathing, wheezing, coughing, and a sense of constriction in the chest that is often triggered by hyperactivity to various stimuli
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological reaction occurring after experiencing a highly stressing event (such as wartime combat, physical violence, or a natural disaster) that is usually characterized by depression, anxiety, flashbacks, recurrent nightmares, and avoidance of reminders of the event
Adverse Childhood Experiences are traumatic events that occur before the age of eighteen. ACEs include all types of neglect and abuse, such as parental abuse, incarceration, and domestic violence. ACEs also include trauma from a parent who may have fallen ill.
