The Impact of Incarceration on Children

Presented by: Nikki Byrd

KARE Family Center

Statistics and Facts

• Gender of parent is a major factor in patterns of incarceration. Fathers 90%

• Parents ethnicity is also a factor. More African American parents in Federal and State prisons than Hispanic or non-Hispanic whites.

• Who looks after the children? When father incarcerated 90% of the time it is the mother. When mother is incarcerated it is the grandmother 53% of the time.

Common Stress Points

• The Arrest: Fear, Confusion and Panic

• Pre-trial and During Trial: Anxiety and Frustration

• Sentencing: Hopelessness and Helplessness

• Initial Incarceration: Abandonment, Stigma and Resentment

• Pre and Post Release: Ambivalence

Things to Consider

• Many times children not told where parent is:

• Leaves child confused and questioning.• Child imagines all kinds of explanation and

answers.• Child feels vulnerable, unprotected and at

fault.• Lying to child causes child to loose trust in

caregiver.

About Children of Prisoners (Always remember every family and their circumstances differ)

• Children experience loss

• Most are cared for by family members

• Most children mourn the loss of parent: the one they had or the one that could have been

• In most cases, contact with parent helps

Effects on Kids: General

• Incarceration has impact but so does poverty, family involvement with alcohol and other drugs, intra-familial violence, previous separations and crime

• The separation is almost always traumatic for child

• Developmental delays

• Maladaptive coping strategies

Child Reaction to Parental Incarceration

• Identifies with incarcerated parent• Awareness of social stigma• Flashbacks to traumatic events related to

arrest• Fear, anxiety, anger, hyperarousal,

sadness, guilt, low self-esteem, depression, lonliness, eating and sleeping disorders, diminished academic performance and aggression

Short Term Effects

• “Conspiracy of silence” causes anxiety and fear. Undermines children’s ability to cope.

• Children need: honest, factual information and to have their experience validated.

• Children more likely to have negative reactions to the experience if they can not talk about it

Long Term Effects

• Infants: child develops attachment issues• Young children: insecure attachments• School age children: peer relationship problems

and school problems (poor grades and/or aggressiveness)

• Boys vs. Girls: both adversely affected but modes of expression differs. Boys: more likely to display externalizing behavioral issues. Girls: more likely to display internalizing problems

• Pre- schoolers (3-5): age of opposition, power and control battles and magical thinking.

• Believe they are responsible in ways that are both illogical and unreasonable.

• May regress in behavior: bed wetting, sleeplessness etc

• Maintaining contact with parent may be most critical at this stage of development to avoid feelings of guilt, loss of control, powerlessness and loyalty conflicts

• Early School Age (5-8): beginning to replace parents as center of their universe.

• Gain an understanding of the concept of crime and punishment.

• Need to experience success and develop a sense of competence with peers and adults

• Vulnerable to taunts from peers about parent’s arrest/incarceration.

• Conflict between affiliation and family loyalty

• Pre-adolescence (9-11):Struggle to understand the fact that right and wrong can vary family by family.

• Striving to learn about their feelings about peers and family members as well as the meaning behind the behaviors of others.

• Adults need to provide labels for children’s feelings without judging them.

• Adults need to provide children with good role models and teach children communication skills by saying what they mean and listening with compassion.

• Children need to be respected for their opinions and tastes.• May choose to distance themselves from incarcerated

parent.• As they strive to understand rules and consequences and

have empathy for others adults must be honest and genuine.

• Adolescence: Teens are out in the world trying to figure out who they are, where they are going and who they want to go with them. They are balancing taking risks and avoiding danger.

• Often expected to assume adult roles• Fear they will turn out like their incarcerated parent

(attempt to be like them or fiercely reject them)• Keep in mind children will react differently to parents

incarceration depending on age, personality, family circumstances, environmental stress, details of crime and incarceration and available supports.

Overview

• Parental incarceration in first year of child’s life may prevent parent-child bonding

• Autonomy and initiative in children 2-6 may be compromised

• Children 7-10 may have a hard time achieving in school

• Adolescents aged 11-14 may act out • The cumulative effects appear in 15-18 year

olds. May have negative attitudes towards law enforcement and the criminal justice system.

Modifiers

• Pre-incarceration conditions: • Parent child relationship• Quality of relationships with extended

family and non-family social networks• Factors during incarcerations:• Nature and quality of alternate care-giving

arrangement• Opportunities to maintain contact with the

absent parent

What the Children Need• Consistent caring adults who understand that in general children

love their parents• People who will not condemn the incarcerated parent• People who understand they feel angry, sad, confused and worried• A chance to express these feelings and learn to cope with them• A chance to learn and practice skills and keep busy with activities• Faith or affiliation with a community that can provide meaning for

child beyond their own crisis• People who can help them maintain contact with incarcerated

parent or explain to them why they can not maintain contact.

Any Questions????