Second-Generation Prisoners and the Transmission of Domestic Violence

Abstract

Adult inmates who experienced the incarceration of a parent, known as "second-generation prisoners," experience unique challenges and are at heightened risk for experiencing other adversities throughout the life span. Our study investigated one specific, and previously unexplored, type of adversity-domestic violence-within a sample of 293 incarcerated adults. We examined the relation between generation status (first-or secondgeneration prisoners), childhood exposure to domestic violence, and participation in adult relationship violence prior to incarceration. Results indicate that prisoners who had been exposed to domestic violence in childhood were more likely to engage in intimate partner violence resulting in inflicted and received injury. Relative to first-generation prisoners, second-generation prisoners reported more childhood domestic violence exposure and were more likely to have been injured by a relationship partner. However, this relation between second-generation status and injury victimization was mediated by domestic violence exposure. These results support an intergenerational pattern of domestic violence and suggest that second-generation prisoners are a unique population worthy of future investigation and mental health intervention.

The impact of maternal incarceration on their daughter's empathy

“…Parental incarceration is a risk-factor for more adverse childhood outcomes than other types of parental separation (Murray & Farrington, 2005). However, the scope of these effects has been mostly limited to adult criminological outcomes (e.g., arrests, violent behavior; Huebner & Gustafson, 2007;Muftic et al, 2016;Will et al, 2016). The present study builds on this prior research, showing that the effects of parental incarceration during childhood are associated with empathy deficits for daughters into adulthood.…”

“…It has been suggested that there is an inter-generational influence of parental incarceration on children, which carries through into adulthood Will, Loper, & Jackson, 2016). However, past studies have not examined the long-term effect of parental incarceration on empathy among female offspring from both offender and non-offender samples.…”

Domestic Violence and Postpartum Depression

“…This is also related to the age of pregnant women; the incidence of postpartum depression is most common in pregnant women who are too young or too old. Pregnant women of suitable age in pregnancy will be more adaptable and not cause easy sadness, because of the productive age (Henry & Powell, 2016;Will et al, 2016). A harmonious household situation must also be established by each family member, both husband and wife, so that the incidence of violence against women can be prevented and reduced (Michau et al, 2015).…”

Traumatic Experiences and PTSD Symptoms in the Chinese Male Intrafamilial Physical Violence Perpetrators: A Comparative and Structural Equation Modeling Study

“…Exposure to family-of-origin violence has been associated with IPV perpetration or violence outside during adulthood (Machisa, Christofides, & Jewkes, 2016; Milaniak & Widom, 2015; Song, Wenzel, Kim, & Nam, 2017; Will, Loper, & Jackson, 2016). A meta-analysis about the intergenerational transmission of physical abuse showed that the relative risk of abuse transmission was 12.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.82, 87.2]) (Ertem, Leventhal, & Dobbs, 2000).…”