“Everything Has Turned Against Us”: Experiences of Left-Behind Spouses of Incarcerated Persons

Children Have Faced Several Challenges: Analyzing Reports of Children Who Became Orphans Caused by COVID-19

“…Additionally, since the reliance on kinship care system becomes one of the best options for children upon the loss of their caregivers as revealed in the findings and corroborated by previous studies (Hillis, Blenkinsop, et al, 2021;Mbamba & Ndemole, 2021;Yeboaa et al, 2022), it is important to engage in careful background investigation of kin and kith of orphaned children before they are placed in such places. This is particularly important because children are already plagued with a complex intersection of the struggle with their loss and only kinship ties who are in the capacity to properly provide and care for them should be allowed to do so.…”

“…Findings of this study reveal that being orphaned due to COVID-19 presents a double challenge of living and livelihood to children. This is because the pandemic has already widened inequalities and exacerbated suffering everywhere; undermining progress on global poverty, clean water, social welfare and more (Hoyt et al, 2021;Marmot, 2020;Mbamba & Ndemole, 2021;Stantcheva, 2022;Yeboaa et al, 2022). This leaves children who lose their caregivers at the mercy of alternative care systems like foster or kinship care.…”

“…Left-behind children go to the extent of https://www.ilomata.org/index.php/ijss attempting to, and for some, committing suicide (Guldin et al, 2017). The risks of suicide are higher among children because of high levels of attachment and the difficulty in living with the conception of their parent or caregivers" absence (Mbamba & Ndemole, 2021;Melhem, 2011;Yeboaa et al, 2022). Referring to a 7-year study on youth bereavement, Melhem and colleagues highlighted that, children who were younger than twelve (12) years following the death of their parents and caregivers struggled the most (Melhem, 2011).…”

The experience of having a partner in prison—A systematic review and meta‐ethnography

“……I've had my daughter throwing up on the bus on the way there from the heat … [I]t's just ridiculous’ (Halsey & Deegan, 2015, p.142–143). Some participants feel an urge to leave their partner and recognise that imprisonment gives them a reason to leave (Yeboaa et al, 2022), while others feel pressured to stay in the relationship out of concern for what divorce would do to their children (Bekiroğlu et al, 2022). Others focus their attention on the children's needs and ‘even though a woman may be grieving as a “wife,” the demands of the “mother” role lead her to see the children's well‐being as paramount’ (Codd, 2000, p.71).…”

“…More recent research, which has corroborated earlier findings, has shown that partners experience a range of practical challenges such as increased financial constraints due to parenting alone, extra‐legal expenses, the costs of prison visits and financially supporting the person in prison (Arditti, 2016; Light & Campbell, 2006). Partners also experience loss, stigma, difficulties with housing and childcare, deterioration of relationships, disruptions to family functioning and life course trajectories (Bekiroğlu et al, 2022; Bradshaw & Muldoon, 2020; Chui, 2010; Codd, 2000; Einat et al, 2015; Kotova, 2019; Reeves & Heptinstall, 2011; Yeboaa et al, 2022), in addition to a large array of intense emotions such as grief and sadness, worry and loneliness, anger and confusion, and jealousy and guilt (Bales & Mears, 2008; La Vigne et al, 2005; Song et al, 2018; Turney & Wildeman, 2013). While imprisonment can provide a partner with some relief from violence or disarray (McCarthy & Adams, 2019; Murray & Farrington, 2008; Nesmith & Ruhland, 2008), the findings largely indicate that partners experience a variety of difficulties following the imprisonment of a spouse.…”