Maternal Incarceration and Children’s Risky Behaviors in Young Adulthood

• In Event: 236 - Regular Session. Prisons and Prisoners 2

Abstract

While a great deal of literature has focused on the effect a father’s incarceration has for children, but much less has explored how children react to maternal incarceration. This paper looks at the long-term implications of childhood maternal incarceration for a set of negative outcomes in young adulthood. Using data from wave I and wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we find that maternal incarceration is associated with higher levels of contact with the criminal justice system, delinquent behavior, and substance use in young adulthood. While maternal incarceration is also associated with higher levels of relationship abuse and aggression, these associations disappear upon introduction of other risk factors faced by children whose mothers are incarcerated. We conclude that maternal incarceration can have lasting implications for grown children, contributing to the intergenerational transmission of disadvantage.

Authors

• Allison Dwyer, Cornell University

• Xing Zhang, Cornell University