The intergenerational effects of paternal incarceration on children's social and psychological well-being from early childhood to adolescence

The present study sought to unravel the psychological processes through which mass incarceration, specifically paternal incarceration, is negatively affecting the next generation of children. Data came from 4,327 families from 20 cities who participated in a 10-year longitudinal study. Parents and c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Development and psychopathology 2023-05, Vol.35 (2), p.558-569
Main Authors: Del Toro, Juan, Fine, Adam, Wang, Ming-Te
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescence
Adolescent
Adolescents
Age
Charitable trusts
Child
Child development
Child, Preschool
Childhood
Children
Families & family life
Fathers
Fathers - psychology
Humans
Imprisonment
Longitudinal Studies
Low income groups
Male
Mental depression
Minority & ethnic groups
Parents & parenting
Parents - psychology
Paternal behavior
Prisoners - psychology
Psychological Well-Being
Teenagers
Well being
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Summary:The present study sought to unravel the psychological processes through which mass incarceration, specifically paternal incarceration, is negatively affecting the next generation of children. Data came from 4,327 families from 20 cities who participated in a 10-year longitudinal study. Parents and children reported on children's rule-breaking behaviors and depressive symptoms when they were on average ages 5 (2003-2006), 9 (2007-2010), and 15 (2014-2017). Parental surveys and disposition information were combined to assess paternal incarceration at each age. Results showed that children who experienced paternal incarceration at age 5 also demonstrated more rule-breaking behaviors at age 15. Children's age-9 depressive symptoms partially mediated our finding, such that children who experienced paternal incarceration at age 5 also showed greater depressive symptoms at age 9, which in turn predicted greater rule-breaking behaviors at age 15. Paternal incarceration predicted future rule-breaking behaviors more strongly than did other forms of father loss. Because we found paternal incarceration during childhood is associated with worsened adjustment into adolescence, we discussed the need for developmentally appropriate practices in the criminal justice system.
ISSN:0954-5794
1469-2198
DOI:10.1017/S0954579421001693