Children's Contact With Their Incarcerated Parents: Research Findings and Recommendations

Approximately 1.7 million children have parents who are incarcerated in prison in the United States, and possibly millions of additional children have a parent incarcerated in jail. Many affected children experience increased risk for developing behavior problems, academic failure, and substance abu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American psychologist 2010-09, Vol.65 (6), p.575-598
Main Authors: Poehlmann, Julie, Dallaire, Danielle, Loper, Ann Booker, Shear, Leslie D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Failure
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Age Differences
Age Factors
At Risk Persons
Attachment Behavior
Behavior Problems
Behavioural psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Caregivers
Carers
Child
Child Behavior
Child Development
Child Welfare
Children
Children & youth
Correctional Institutions
Developmental psychology
Environmental Influences
Family
Family relations
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gender Differences
Human
Humans
Imprisonment
Incarceration
Institution Visitation
Institutionalized Persons
Intervention
Offenders
Offspring
Parent Child Relations
Parent Child Relationship
Parent Influence
Parents
Parents & parenting
Prisoners
Prisons
Psychological effects
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Risk factors
Socioeconomic Status
Stress, Psychological
Substance Abuse
U.S.A
United States
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Summary:Approximately 1.7 million children have parents who are incarcerated in prison in the United States, and possibly millions of additional children have a parent incarcerated in jail. Many affected children experience increased risk for developing behavior problems, academic failure, and substance abuse. For a growing number of children, incarcerated parents, caregivers, and professionals, parent-child contact during the imprisonment period is a key issue. In this article, we present a conceptual model to provide a framework within which to interpret findings about parent-child contact when parents are incarcerated. We then summarize recent research examining parent-child contact in context. On the basis of the research reviewed, we present initial recommendations for children's contact with incarcerated parents and also suggest areas for future intervention and research with this vulnerable population.
ISSN:0003-066X
1935-990X
DOI:10.1037/a0020279