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1-069 - Innovative Developmental, Family, Educational, and Sociological Approaches to Studying Children with Incarcerated Parents

Thu, March 21, 12:30 to 2:00pm, Baltimore Convention Center, Floor: Level 3, Room 318

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Having an incarcerated parent has become a major public health problem in the United States. More than 5 million children under the age of 14 have experienced a coresident parent leaving to spend time in jail or prison. At year end 2014, 2,224,400 people were incarcerated in prisons or jails, yet these point-in-time estimates mask the mass incarceration that occurs in jails; indeed, there were 10.6 million admissions to jails in 2016. Although fathers still vastly outnumber incarcerated mothers, the incarceration rate for women continues to rise, reaching nearly 15% of the jail population in 2014. In addition, children of color are disproportionately affected, with Black children 7.5 times more likely than White children to have a parent imprisoned. Children from low income families are also disproportionately affected. Some scholars argue that mass incarceration of parents is a driving force behind growing U.S. racial and economic disparities.

A growing body of interdisciplinary research has documented child well-being in families affected by parental incarceration. Children with incarcerated parents (on average) are at risk for developing negative outcomes, including behavior problems, health and mental health concerns, unsupportive family relationships, and academic difficulties. However, pathways linking parental incarceration with child well-being are understudied. In this symposium, we highlight innovative approaches to studying children with incarcerated parents and potential mechanisms of effect across disciplines using diverse methodologies, including developmental psychology, family science, sociology and educational approaches using both qualitative and quantitative approaches, including experimental, observational, interview, and survey methods.

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