The Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children
By Jasmine Lewis, MSW Student, Howard University School of Social Work
Children of incarcerated parents are often overlooked. Children of incarcerated parents are directly impacted by their parents’ incarceration and face several difficulties throughout their lifetime. Manning (2011) found that “about 2 million or about one out of every 33, minor children in the U.S. has at least one parent incarcerated for criminal offense” (p. 267). Having an incarcerated parent has become a commonality for many children. This indicates that the number of children who have incarcerated parents is continuing to increase, resulting in many children growing up without a parent or parents.
Growing up with either or both parents incarcerated negatively impacts children, however maternal and paternal incarceration impact children differently. Turney and Goodsell (2018) found that: “Children often continue to live with their mother when their father is incarcerated, but children of incarcerated mothers usually experience a complex set of living arrangements” (p. 150). During the time of my brother’s father’s incarceration, he continued to live with our mom and another brother. While my brother was incarcerated his children lived with their mother. When paternal incarceration plagues the family, the mother is usually the sole caregiver. Being that mothers are usually the sole caregiver, maternal incarceration “may bring more family instability than a father’s” (p. 150). Maternal incarceration also impacts children differently because mothers are the ones who give birth to the children.
Parental incarceration impacts children in several ways. A child’s behavior, education, and physical health are all parts of life that are negatively impacted by parental incarceration. According to Turney and Goodsell (2018): “children with incarcerated parents, and particularly those with incarcerated fathers, have trouble progressing through school” (p. 151). Education is essential to childhood development and if children are struggling with early education, progressing through junior high and high school may be difficult even after their parent(s) are no longer incarcerated. Struggling with school impacts other parts of a child’s life and is a strong indicator in whether a child may be at risk for incarceration. Turney and Goodsell (2018) found that “among children of parents without a high school diploma, 62.1 percent of non-Hispanic blacks are exposed to parental incarceration” (p. 149). It is evident that lack of education is a risk factor for incarceration.
Physical health is a part of a child’s life that is negatively impacted by parental incarceration as well. According to Turney and Goodsell (2018) children of incarcerated parents were more likely to have “asthma, obesity, with a later risk of high cholesterol, migraines, HIV/AIDS, overall fair/poor health” (p. 152). Physical health is also tied to mental health which is also be impacted by paternal incarceration. Manning (2011) found that children of incarcerated parents often have “depression and difficulty forming attachments; difficulty sleeping and concentrating; emotional withdrawal; cognitive delays; and difficulty developing trust” (p. 269). Parental incarceration impacts major parts of a child’s life and has a lifelong impact. It is highly unlikely for a child to be successful if their physical and mental health is not effectively being managed. Providing children of incarcerated parents with the appropriate medical and mental health resources is essential to leading a healthy life.
Lastly, parental incarceration directly impacts the behavior of children. According to Turney and Goodsell (2018), children who have incarcerated parents are more likely to display negative externalizing behaviors. Internalizing behaviors “such as being withdrawn or anxious” are also common behaviors among children who have incarcerated parents (p. 151). The behaviors mentioned can lead to a life of difficulties that can include creating and maintaining a healthy social system. Creating and maintaining healthy relationships is a huge part of childhood and especially adulthood. A lack of healthy relationships can lead to a life filled with loneliness and unhappiness which is directly related to mental health issues.
The problem of parental incarceration is continuing to grow, and research surrounding this topic should continue to grow as well so that we can find better ways to address the problem. Children do not have the capacity to deal with the consequences of parental incarceration and it is up to us as social workers and professionals assist them with coping skills and other resources that will be beneficial to their well-being. Lack of attention and resources toward the issue of parental incarceration will lead to the vicious cycle of children continuing to grow up with incarcerated parents.
Jasmine Lewis is a Master of Social Work (MSW) student at the Howard University School of Social Work. Her concentration is in direct practice, and she is passionate about criminal justice system reform. She received her BSW from Western Connecticut State University.
References
Manning, R. (2011). Punishing the innocent: Children of incarcerated and detained parents. Criminal Justice Ethics, 30, 267–287. doi:10.1080/0731129X.2011.628830
Turney, K., & Goodsell, R. (2018). Parental Incarceration and Children’s Wellbeing. Future of Children, 28, 147–164. Retrieved from: https://kristinturney.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/turney-goodsell_2018.pdf
Photo by Chris Benson on Unsplash
