Behavioral Reactions of Children to Parental Absence due to Imprisonment

Fritsch, Travis A.; Burkhead, John D.

doi:10.2307/584240

Cited by 106 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…However, when a parent dies or there is a divorce, there are opportunities to openly discuss that loss and receive sympathy from others. But when a parent is incarcerated, the topic is often considered a taboo and the stigma associated with it precludes open discussion and elicits little sympathy (Fritsch & Burkhead, 1981). This inability to communicate or the failure to explain to the child what happened to their parent may create anxiety for the child and impact his or her ability to cope.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unanticipated Consequences of Imprisonment on Families of Prison Inmates of Kumasi Central Prison of Ghana

Ofori‐Dua¹,

Akuoko²,

Kanwetuu³

2015

International Journal of Social Science Studies

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Prisons in Ghana, like most prisons the world over, are established to keep offenders from society and to try and reform them so that they will become useful citizens. Prisons are considered as crime fighting-devices which govern penal policy. However, there are many social, psychological and financial costs of imprisonment on the spouse and children of the prisoner. For instance, how do the remaining spouses and children cope with the social, psychological and financial problems resulting from incarceration? What social support systems exist in Ghana for the benefit of the families of the incarcerated? These questions and a few others formed the bases for which 25 families of prisoners in the Kumasi Central Prisons were purposively sampled and interviewed to examine the unintended consequences of imprisonment on the families of the incarcerated. The results of the study indicated that the incarceration of family members led to social stigma of the spouses and children, reduction in family fortunes, emotional and psychological trauma, infidelity and family breakdown. Consequently, the spouses and their children resorted to prayers from churches and pastors to cope with the situation, quitting their residences, relocating to cheaper and affordable accommodation and reducing their expenditure and "luxury" in order to survive, owing to unavailability of social support systems except temporary financial assistance from friends, close relatives and religious organizations. The study made some recommendations.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unanticipated Consequences of Imprisonment on Families of Prison Inmates of Kumasi Central Prison of Ghana

Ofori‐Dua¹,

Akuoko²,

Kanwetuu³

2015

International Journal of Social Science Studies

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“…Shaw (1987) a observé que plusieurs enfants s'enfuient de la maison ou s'absentent de l'école lorsque leur père est incarcéré. Ces comportements perturbateurs peuvent s'accompagner de difficultés d'attention, de concentration ou de troubles sérieux du comportement (Fritsch et Burkhead, 1982 ;Johnston, 1995). En somme, si le « coeur » de détention semble être une période de récupération et de stabilisation (Withers, 2002), elle n'en exige pas moins une importante réorganisation, analogue à celle que vivent plusieurs familles monoparentales et économiquement démunies, les risques de stigmatisation en plus.…”

Section: L'arrestation Et L'admission En éTablissement L'arrestationunclassified

L’incarcération du père : expérience et besoins des familles

Lafortune

Barrette²,

Brunelle

2005

crimino

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La problématique des pères détenus soulève de nombreuses questions relatives aux rôles et fonctions habituellement assumés par le père, aux différentes étapes qui jalonnent la peine (arrestation, détention, libération) et aux services qui pourraient être offerts aux familles. Dix-neuf pères incarcérés, sept conjointes et deux enfants ont été interviewés sur ces questions. Ils disent n’avoir pu compter que sur le soutien de leur réseau informel (essentiellement, la famille et la belle-famille). Le soutien formel, offert par les différents services ou ressources qui pourraient oeuvrer auprès des familles, est décrit comme lacunaire. C’est au moment de l’arrestation et de celui de la remise en liberté que les besoins d’intervention semblent plus pressants. Lors de l’arrestation, les familles désirent pouvoir bénéficier de renseignements et de conseils sur le déroulement du processus judiciaire et du procès. Durant la détention proprement dite, les répondants souhaitent l’amélioration des lieux réservés aux visites familiales, tel l’aménagement de salles pouvant favoriser les activités parents-enfants, ainsi que l’implantation d’un système de transport offrant plus de facilité. Lors de la réunification familiale, les pères et leurs conjointes ont également dit souhaiter être mieux encadrés par un programme ou une intervention visant spécifiquement les pratiques parentales.The situation of incarcerated fathers raises numerous questions relating to the roles and functions normally assumed by the father in his family, to the different stages marking the sentence (arrest, detention, release), and to the services that could be offered to the families. Nineteen incarcerated fathers, seven spouses, and two children were interviewed on these questions. They report having only received assistance from their informal support network (primarily, the family and the in-laws). Formal support, provided by various services or resources that could work with these families, is described as deficient. The need for support and interventions appears to be most pressing at the time of the arrest and of the release. When the arrest occurs, families would like to receive information and advices about the functioning of the judicial process and the trial. During detention per se, participants wish for the improvement of the reserved family visit spaces, or even the fitting out of a unit favouring parents-children activities, as well as the establishment of a facilitating transport system. Upon family reunification, the fathers and their spouses mentioned their wish to be better supervised through a program or an intervention specifically focused on parenting skills

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“…Children of incarcerated parents are more likely to exhibit emotional and behavioral problems compared to children whose caregivers have never been arrested (Phillips & Dettlaff, 2009). They tend to exhibit both internalizing (e.g., depression, withdrawal) and externalizing (e.g., ADHD, stealing, fighting) behaviors (Dallaire, 2007;Fritsch & Burkhead, 1981;Murray & Farrington, 2008;Myers, Smarsh, Amlund-Hagen, & Kennon, 1999;Raimon, Lee, & Gentry, 2009;Turney, 2014), and are more likely to have poor academic performance due to a number of school-re-lated problems including disruptive behavior, suspensions from school, and increased truancy (e.g., Murray & Farrington, 2005;Phillips & Harm, 1996;Raimon et al, 2009;Trice & Brewster, 2004). Also, when their parents are arrested, many children behave in even more emotionally and behaviorally disordered ways, especially when their new caregiving situations are unstable (e.g., Nesmith & Ruhland, 2008;Phillips & Harm, 1997;Poehlmann, 2005a;Dallaire, Loper, Poehlmann & Shear, 2010).…”

Section: Toward a Decarceral Sexual Autonomymentioning

confidence: 99%

Your True Freedom

Rausch¹

2015

JPER

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Behavioral Reactions of Children to Parental Absence due to Imprisonment

Cited by 106 publications

References 12 publications

Unanticipated Consequences of Imprisonment on Families of Prison Inmates of Kumasi Central Prison of Ghana

Unanticipated Consequences of Imprisonment on Families of Prison Inmates of Kumasi Central Prison of Ghana

L’incarcération du père : expérience et besoins des familles

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