Incarcerated Parents: The effects of parents incarcerated on their children

Parents being incarcerated has always had a big effect on children in today’s society. Some children grow up without their parents their whole lives and the toll it takes on children is very dramatic. If kids were to act out in school they are usually the ones that get in trouble but no one ever stops to think about their parents missing in their lives. Kids usually see their parents act out and they reenact what they see. Depending on what parents are missing it can take a different toll on the child.

Starting with mothers, if a child is missing their mom they are more than likely going to miss out on a lot of love and nurturing that they have to give. If they are missing their father they are going to be missing out on structure. For example, if a girl is missing her father then she is not going to know how a woman is supposed to be treated and vice versa for a boy missing his mother.

According to “Children of incarcerated parents” Depending on what state you are in results are going to differ. The results range from as low as 3 percent in Kentucky to a high of 13 percent in New Jersey. If you are a born in a low income family your chances of having a incarcerated parent are higher.

Estimated five million plus children experience having an incarcerated parent in their lifetime. According to “The Complicated Problems of Children with Incarcerated Parents” the amount of imprisoned parents has gone up dramatically over the years by 500 percent between 1980 and 2000. 92% of imprisoned parents are fathers but mothers are right behind them. The amount of mothers imprisoned has doubled from the year 1991 to 2007.

Studies show that kids with incarcerated parents are going to struggle with antisocial behaviors, psychological problems, and depression. Kids have a lot of things to stress about as it is when it comes to school, fitting in, puberty, and just living a regular life but having an incarcerated parent adds to that stress. Not having a parent to help you through this can be troublesome to your mental state. Just say for instance if a child didn’t go through any of these things, they still have to see that parent struggle financially and work themselves to the bone because they have to make up for that missing parent.