effects on children of incarcerated parents

sherri13 · #1 04-01-2002, 01:28 AM

this is a section in a research paper that i wrote that deals with the effects of incarceration of a parent on children of different age groups

just FYI

Children of Incarcerated Parents

Nearly 1.5 million children have a mother or father in prison. At the end of 1999, 1,498,800 children under the age of 18 had a parent in prison in this country (Bureau of Justice, 1999). There are an estimated 10 million children in the United States who have at some point in their lives had one or both parents incarcerated. (Reed, 1997). The American Correctional Association in 1990 reported that 50% of incarcerated juveniles have had a parent who has been incarcerated. Despite these alarming statistics, children of prisoners and other offenders have historically received very little attention from professionals or the public. It is our responsibility to acknowledge these forgotten children and to do what we can to reduce the profound risk the experience of parental incarceration presents for not only these children, but for our society (Johnston, 1995).

Research
“The cycle of parental crime, arrest, incarceration, and recidivism is particularly devastating for children, but no study has as yet directly observed a large sample of these children” (Reed, 1997, p. 157). Official instruments to collect information during arrest and adjudication do not exist. All of such information is obtained from the potentially inaccurate self-reports of offenders, and it is not clear that offenders can be legally

required to provide researchers with information regarding their families, due to confidentiality issues. (Johnston, 1995).
Notwithstanding the limited research, the few studies that have been done have yielded disconcerting results. Researchers have documented a number of behavioral, psychological, and educational problems in children who are traumatized by the arrest, separation, incarceration, and absence of a parent.

Effects on Children
Studies focusing on parental imprisonment and the children’s reactions to parental incarceration consistently substantiate the following: Regardless of the age of the child when a parent is incarcerated, there can be profound effects on that child’s development due primarily to the factors of trauma and parent-child separation. The effects on children have been frequently compared to the experiences of children dealing with divorce, abandonment or the death of a parent. Children of prisoners often report depression, anger, concentration problems, fear, sleep difficulties, guilt and flashbacks, symptoms
associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. (Greene, 2000; Locy, 1999; Seymour, 1998; Young & Smith, 2000; Virginia Commission on Youth, 1993).
The Child Welfare League of America identified common reactions of children separated from their parents, which included rejection, loss of identity, anger and guilt. In addition many children develop increased fear of emotional closeness and trusting that may lead to impaired interpersonal relationships as adults.
When a parent is incarcerated during the first year of a child’s life, parent-child bonding may prove impossible. The development of autonomy and initiative in children aged two to six may be damaged by the trauma of witnessing parental arrest and the loss of a parent through incarceration. They are much more likely to experience “survivor guilt”. Unlike infants, these young children have the ability to perceive and remember traumatic events but unlike older children and adolescents, they do not have the developmental skills to process such experiences. In addition, these children are often discouraged from talking about these experiences and this “conspiracy of silence” may have a lasting effect (Kamfner, 1995).
In middle childhood, ages seven to ten, children who have a parent incarcerated suffer the loss of a primary role model at a critical period of their lives. Some children are resilient enough to recover, but others with poor coping skills and little support may respond with reactive behaviors including: aggression, hypervigilance and other anxiety states, attention/concentration problems, and withdrawal. The development of these children’s abilities to work and cooperate with others, including academic achievement and emotional control, may be significantly impaired (Johnston, 1995; Reed, 1997).
In early adolescence, ages eleven to fourteen, although some children can utilize their internal and external resources to overcome the absence of a parent due to incarceration, many develop maladaptive behaviors in an attempt to gain control, and increase achievement and peer acceptance. Some of these behaviors include lying, stealing, gang activity, violence, promiscuity and engaging in substance abuse. These are their adaptive responses to the threatening environments in which they have been raised. These young adolescents may also reject limits on their behavior (Johnston, 1995; Reed, 1997).
When options for using adaptive patterns of coping behaviors do not exist, as with younger adolescents, older adolescents ages 15-18 will utilize maladaptive coping mechanisms, the long-term outcome being delinquency or crime. When this occurs, it produces intergenerational crime and incarceration.
According to the model for intergenerational crime and incarceration developed by the Center for Children of Incarcerated Parents, children exposed to continuing trauma produce emotional responses that without intervention, lead to reactive behavior and become fixed patterns that help children to cope, ultimately leading to crime and incarceration (Reed, 1997).

kali · #2 04-01-2002, 10:34 AM

Sherri / others
does anyone know of a court case where childrens needs were put before punishment of the offender. I have looked but have found nothing. My attorney was hoing to find something to support his request for a downward departure besed on Brittanys emotional state of mind.
Kali

Amelia · #3 04-01-2002, 11:54 AM

Sherri Thanks you for sharing this...Kali-In my opinion your daughter's well being is far more important than punishing you...but can the system comprehend that..who knows? I am praying that things work out for you.

sherri13 · #4 04-01-2002, 09:42 PM

KALI-I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A CASE, BUT IF THERE ISN'T ONE, THERE SHOULD BE--IN FACT, THERE SHOULD BE A LOT OF CASES, HELL EVERY CASE THEY SHOULD CONSIDER THE CHILDREN!!! MAYBE YOURS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS COULD BE A LANDMARK CASE. GOD KNOWS WE NEED SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO HAPPEN. THEY NEED TO HAVE MORE ALTERNATIVE SANCTIONS, ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS.

SHERRI

Shortie · #5 04-02-2002, 09:06 PM

we know that they are going to say they did not concider the children when they did the crime. They always flip it back on the offender.

bella · #6 04-22-2002, 12:30 PM

As you all know I do not have children. We have a niece and 2 nephews from his sister. His niece was two the first time she visited him and belive it or not she remembers it. She'll tell you about him wearing an orange suit. His sister and mother told her he was in college. That was about ten years ago. Now she is in school and since they want her to have a positive mind about school they told her the truth. Kids are so smart, when they told her she replied did he steal something and the police caught him. When she talks to him on the phone she tells him it is bad to steal and he should never do it again. Every time they are in the car and pass the local jail his nephew says Is he in there I want to see him. He knows that it is the jail because before all of this happened his father used to tell him if you do something bad the police will lock you in there for a long time. They miss him very much, the baby doesnt even know him. He is only a year old and has only seen him once, last month. Even though they are not his children it is very hard for him that they will age without him around. Every time I see them or speak to them they ask me when he is comming home. It's hard for me to tell them I don't know and have an explaination for it so I just tell them soon.
Just needed to vent. I cannot imagine your hurt for your children, but I definately can simpathize. I get a lump in my throat when I think of our niece and nephews.
M

Amelia · #7 04-22-2002, 11:05 PM

Isnt it terrible that children have to go through this too??!! My kids just dont undrestand why their dad has to be gone and why I cant bring him home. They cry because they want to hug and kiss him and can't. BUT I think it is so important for them to know the truth and your sister-in-law did the right thing. I worry so much what effect this is all going to have on them in the future--???--guess I needed to vent too!

Amelia · #8 07-15-2002, 11:09 AM

Sherri I am usine the info you posted to try and get the DA to consider our children with this 15 year offer..thank you

sherri13 · #9 07-16-2002, 08:49 AM

HOPE IT WORKS AMELIA!

Tadessa · #10 09-16-2002, 02:31 PM

I am curious...how do you deal with the rejection that the child feels. My daughter is 9 and her father has been incarcerated off and on over half of her life....she now says that she doesn't have a father and that bothers me, but I don't want to discount her feelings. He asked her was she upset with him for being locked up again, and she told him that "basically, when you are locked up as much as you are, you just get use to it." I was totally dumbfounded. As a parent, is there anything I should be doing to help her? I will admit

Budwoman · #11 09-16-2002, 03:27 PM

CHILDREN ARE LITTLE ADULTS. THEY UNDERSTAND JUST WHAT THEY ARE SHOWN... YES, I AM SURE SHE IS BITTER. YOUR HUSBAND NEEDS TO TALK TO HER CONSTANTLY AND TELL HER HOW SORRY HE IS TO HAVE MESSED UP. HE NEEDS TO APOLOGIZE EACH AND EVERY TIME HE SEES HER. THEN, YOU NEED TO INSURE THAT SHE GETS SOME HELP TO UNDERSTAND HER ANGER AT HIM.... SHE IS HURT AND UPSET THAT HE IS IN PRISON AGAIN... SHE FEELS HE DID NOT LOVE HER ENOUGH TO NOT DO SOMETHING TO GO BACK.

YOU TOO CAN TALK WITH HER AND SHOW HER EXTRA LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING... THIS WILL HELP, BUT SHE DOES NEED TO SEE SOMEONE NOT IN THE FAMILY. SOMEONE WHO CAN LOOK AT HER OBJECTIVELY AND UNDERSTAND AND HELP HER RELEASE THIS ANGER SHE IS FEELING..

MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU AND HER

DONNA

sherri13 · #12 09-16-2002, 08:07 PM

I agree, Donna

Tadessa · #13 09-16-2002, 08:41 PM

My daughter's father and I are not together and we haven't been together in the relationship-way since just before our daughter was born. I would like to think that she's a well adjusted child, but I don't like her attitude towards her father. I don't take her to visit and I know that's not fair to him, but I don't feel that for the next 9 years, I should have to take her back and forth to visit him. I guess part of my problem is the fact that his girlfriend was pregnant just before he got locked up, and he decided that he wanted to get his life together for the new child...I was very frustrated and angry about that, but I try not to let my feelings for him interfer with her. I'm also guilty of overindulging her because of his incarceration...anything she wants to try, I'm there shelling out the dollars or spending my time. Is this all a mistake on my part?

horsegal · #14 09-16-2002, 08:52 PM

I know our son was withdrawn from his friends, he didn't want to go out and play, he didn't want them to come over and play, this past summer. (Kraig was arrested in July of 2001) But he is slowly coming out of that stage, and is now entering into a rebellious, and back talking stage. I have notified the school to have the councelor see him this year, I pray this helps. I try to be understanding, and not be harsh with him, but I also can't let him use this as an excuse to walk all over me either. Kraig and I both have talked with him, and tried to make this situation as painless as possible, but a 7 year old can't really comprehend not seeing his daddy out here. My son doesn't like to go to the visits at the prison, they are hard on all of us, but what can I do? This is the only way he has contact with him. It's just a hard situation all the way around.

amyherring2002 · #15 09-20-2002, 03:52 PM

i dont know what to do about my son b/c he is 3 and my husband has only been out for like 9 mths of his life. He has seen him quite a few times and writes to him. my son often draws his daddy pictures and loves to go get the mail, but he seems very angry and he often sees me cry and he often cries saying that he misses daddy and he wants him to come home. i keep telling him soon and i told him that his daddy was on a trip b/c i feel he is too young to understand where he really is and i fear that it would scare him. Is this wrong?