The Impact of Maternal Incarceration on Emotional and Behavioral Outcomes: Research Findings from a National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health

Abstract

As studies repeatedly show an increase in the rates of detainment among women, findings also indicate that maternal incarceration has been associated with inappropriate and inconsistent discipline, youth problem behaviors, and serious delinquency [10][16] [7]. Research has also illustrated that mother's incarceration is associated with instability among children, many of whom are less likely to complete their education and are more likely to be incarcerated themselves in later adulthood [12][18] [7]. High levels of delinquency among this group suggests that generational patterns of violence may exist among the youth who live in the homes of incarcerated mothers [12], and social interaction often defines how parental incarceration, family functioning, parenting strategies, and child adjustment might be correlated [10]. Maternal Incarceration and Problem BehaviorScholars similarly continue to illustrate an association between maternal incarceration and adverse outcomes for offspring. [16], for example, observed the growth in female incarceration to further understand the long-term consequences of imprisonment on children. Their research utilized data derived from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health to examine the impact maternal incarceration has on criminal justice involvement among young adults. The key findings demonstrated that maternal incarceration had a statistically significant effect on the children's adult involvement in the criminal justice system, which was measured by arrest, conviction, and incarceration [16].[10] Examined serious delinquency among youth and the associations between parental incarceration, family functioning, parental health, effective parenting, and youth problems. Adolescents who experienced parental incarceration during their childhood were more likely to experience family risk in the areas of social advantage, parent health, and effective parenting, as well as having higher levels of problem behavior across adolescence than those adolescents who did not experience parental incarceration.[12] Examined the relationship between children's behavioral outcomes and life events among incarcerated mothers. AbstractData for this study were drawn from quantitative analyses derived from secondary statistics from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), which is a longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample of adolescents in grades 7-12 in the United States to examine the impact of maternal incarceration on emotional and behavioral outcomes among adolescents. It was hypothesized that maternal incarceration would increase the number of risk factors among adolescents including delinquency, victimization, emotional outcomes and drug usage. For this project, the survey data were analyzed on self-identified non-white (minority) participants reporting criminal justice involvement measured through lifetime arrest, age at first arrest, number of pre-18 arrests and number of post-18 arrests as behavioral outcomes. Measures of self-repo...

Developmental Outcomes among Children within the Context of Maternal Incarceration: Findings from a Study of Family Inequality

“…Reaction behaviors may include fear, low self-esteem, withdrawal, separation anxiety, eating and sleeping disorders, physical aggression, gang activity, sexual activity, lying, and other delinquent behaviors [19,20]. Studies also show that enduring trauma can also lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and traumatic events experienced before the age of 11 are more likely to result in PTSD than those after the age of 12 [2].…”

“…In sum, the aforementioned studies that have addressed the linkage between maternal incarceration and subsequent childhood behavior have also pointed toward the need for greater research to address the chronological impact of oppression within the juvenile justice system and the ensuing factors that considerably influence early-onset juvenile delinquency. In this regard, the devaluing of talent and potential among marginalized youth within the educational system remains, as many are relegated to characterizations of criminality, as seen through inordinate levels of dismissal and interruption for minor infractions [2]. Hence, the likelihood of positive mother/child reunification declines with prior maternal incarceration, and as women are arrested, sentenced, and confined several times, the degrees at which they will be continually detached from their children are swiftly rising, further suggesting the need to discover additional options for intervention and treatment.…”

“…There remains a gender gap in the prison population with regard to many women who are marginalized on the basis of race, class, age, and sexuality, as many of them bear the burden of punitive policies and sentencing; this problem has become even more exacerbated as the number of mothers in prison has greatly increased in recent years. Specifically, almost seventy percent of women in prison are mothers with children under eighteen years of age, with almost one third with children under the age of five [1,2]. Recent studies have also estimated that one out of every twelve women are pregnant during their incarceration and more than one million children in America have incarcerated mothers or mothers on parole [1,2].…”

“…Specifically, almost seventy percent of women in prison are mothers with children under eighteen years of age, with almost one third with children under the age of five [1,2]. Recent studies have also estimated that one out of every twelve women are pregnant during their incarceration and more than one million children in America have incarcerated mothers or mothers on parole [1,2]. Children with incarcerated mothers are in the highest category of at-risk youth in the nation [3].…”

A randomized controlled trial of enhanced mentoring program practices for children of incarcerated caregivers: Assessing impacts on youth and match outcomes

“…There is a range of behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and social outcomes associated with the experience of being the child of an incarcerated parent (COIP). Externalizing behavior problems, including conduct disorder, noncompliance, aggression, and delinquency, are more common among COIP compared to children who have not had an incarcerated parent (Aaron & Dallaire, 2010; Kjellstrand et al, 2018; McGee et al, 2017). These behavior problems, in turn, are related to later behavior problems such as delinquency and adult criminality (Rakt et al, 2012).…”