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CHILDREN WITH INCARCERATED PARENTS

Community Problem Report: CHILDREN WITH

ENCARCERATED PARENTS
The University of Texas at El Paso
RWS 1301
April 10, 2016
Grecia Hinojos

Abstract
As years have passed there has been an alarming increase in the
percentage of parents that go to prison, and leave their kids behind to their
misfortune. In the past decade around 1.5 million children were left with this kind
of situation where either one or both the parents was taken to prison and these
children were left with a family member or put in foster care. Last year that
number was recorded to be 5 million children with this situation. A certain interest
has risen to the fact that the children having these types of problems experience
emotional and physical breakdown. Not only do they suffer breakdowns but also
their stability is taken away leaving them with many other problems so the
question here is what can be done to make the childrens life better.

When the topic of foster care is reached most of the people assume that
most of the cases are involved with orphans, third world country or neglected
children. The truth is that around 37% of the cases that are being treated by
foster care are children that are left when their parents are incarcerated. This
topic has risen in the past decade since it has been perceived that these children
lack of help from organizations and charities. Once the imprisonment has
happened the child suffers emotionally and their stability is taken away from
them. Many problems derive from this, from the inadequate custody that may not
provide the best opportunities for the children. To an incline towards antisocial or
disruptive behavior.
The aftermath that children suffer with these types of situations are very
underestimated, when in fact it is grave. Starting by pointing out that when the
parents are imprisoned immediately the custody of the child is taken care of but
must of the times this becomes very complicated. In certain cases the children
are left with a family member that can not provide properly for the well being
meaning they are economically unstable, can not relate or help the child
emotionally or in some other cases they can be mistreated. When this happens it
is very difficult to find out the fact is that most of these cases almost never
known, unless somebody else notices and reports it to childcare. If the family
members are found to be incompetent since the beginning or there is no family
member then the children are taken to foster care. Here it becomes a bit more
complicated since it takes time for an adoption to take into place.

The process of adoption is affected by several factors a few examples are

time, other siblings involved and the approval from the biological parents. First of
all the time, one of the main factors, it is very important because a lot of time is
consumed finding a caring family that will adopt them. Not only does it require for
the children to live in foster homes for a period either short or long but it is also
time that is taken away from them living a normal life. Another factor is that the
children may have siblings, which is also complicated since most of the time they
are separated form each other. The one that seems very upsetting is that the
adoption of these children has to be approved by the biological parents, which
sometimes also complicates the matter even more. It must be taken into
consideration the stress that these kids are summited into. Leaving them with
mixed feelings like uncertainness and fear.
This stress that produces emotional instability can lead to depression,
emotional withdrawal from their friends and their family members, an anti-social
behavior perceived as low self-esteem, violence and in some cases even to drug
and alcohol abuse at a very young age. An analysis done by the National Survey
of Childrens Health came to a conclusion that the most common age in which
children experience this is between 2-9 years of age taking up 47.3% of the
children surveyed. This is a very important time frame in which most of the childs
development is being made, considering the instability the probability of a child
having an emotional setback is very high.
In this same survey it was also found that a great percentage of the 5
million children that have parents in prison come from very poor families.

Meaning almost 1 in every 8 are poor this

information is also very alarming hence that
they are in a more vulnerable situation.
Other factors that create an effect
are the trauma that can be experienced
when the child sees the arrest of the parent. This may
over whelm them by affecting their
capacity to learn or develop properly. Also the feeling of shame and culpability is
expressed very often by a lot of the children, something that makes it even more
difficult to help the child deal with their depression. The factor of the support
required not being met is also very common from economical help, psychiatric
help or federal help.
Looking at it statistically the numbers are alarming and the problem is that
this rate is not decrease but instead decreasing. The number of parents being
incarcerated is going up and these children are left alone, an awareness has
risen and the number of organizations that are willing to reach out and help is
also increasing. Which is the proposal that is given to try and fix this problem it
could be as simple as donating to the organizations or getting involved by
participating in the events or by befriending a little one. The fact is that these
boys and girls are left feeling lonely and uncertain of what might come but they
are so innocent that with a simple hug or greeting can make them feel better.
While we may not have the ability to control the actions of the parents of
these children, we do have the chance to change the life of a little one that is

coping trough a situation like this. By reaching out and showing them the right
path to leading a healthy, loving life. Or by simply helping out the organizations
trying to reach out to them. The children now are the future and if we want the
world to become a better place there must be a take in action and solve this
problem.
Children close their ears
to advise but open their eyes to example.
-Denis Watley

References:
1. Arditti, J. A. (2015). Family Process Perspective on the Heterogeneous
Effects of Maternal Incarceration on Child Wellbeing. Criminology & Public
Policy, 14(1), 169-182. doi:10.1111/1745-9133.12117

2. Children of Incarcerated Parents. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2016, from

http://youth.gov/youth-topics/children-of-incarcerated-parents

3. Makariev, D. W., & Shaver, P. R. (2010). Attachment, parental

incarceration and possibilities for intervention: An overview. Attachment &
Human Development, 12(4), 311-331. doi:10.1080/14751790903416939
4. Manning, R. (2011). Punishing the Innocent: Children of Incarcerated and
Detained Parents. Criminal Justice Ethics, 30(3), 267-287.
doi:10.1080/0731129X.2011.628830

5. Murray, J., Harrington, D. P., & I. S. (2012). Children's antisocial behavior,

mental health, drug use, and educational performance after parental
incarceration: A systematic review and meta-analysis. (Publication).
6. N. J. (2015, October 27). 1 in 14 U.S. Children Has Had a Parent in
Prison,

Says

New

Study.

Times.

Retrieved

from

http://time.com/4088385/child-trends-incarceration-study/

7. Reckman, L., & Rothstein, D. (2012). A Voice for the Young Child with an
Incarcerated Parent. Children's Rights Litigation, 14(2), 19-25.