There have been many studies that are aimed to determine the effects of incarceration on the health of adult prisoners however little research has been conducted to determine the adverse effects that incarceration has on the children and families of the imprisoned persons. This study will aim to understand the effects that imprisonment has on these populations. This includes the possibility of engaging in risky behaviors as well as identifying potential interventions that will be used to inform public policy to help care for children of imprisoned families (Corcoran et al., 2005).
Introduction
The number of incarcerated people is high in the United States than any other country in the world. The rate of incarceration in the United States has risen by over 500% in the past 30 years. In 2007, the number of people that were imprisoned was more than those that were given birth to. The number of incarcerated people on that same year was 2.4 million adults and an extra 4.2 million that were on parole (Akesson et al., 2012). Every year a total of 24million citizens in the United States are detained. Recidivism is practiced widely hence almost 60% of the people released from prison are rearrested within 36 hours of release. In 2007, the number of people detained in prison reported to having over 1.7million minor children. This constitutes 2.3% of total population of persons under 18years in the United States (Akesson et al., 2012). 19% of the children that had imprisoned parents were of age 4 and below whereas 52% are of 9yera and below.
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The cases if imprisonment large involves the African-American families with an approximate of 1 in every group of four children born in 1990 having one of the parents imprisoned before they reach the age of 14 whereas on the other hand one in every 25 children of the white parents has undergone the same situation. This translates to over a third of the minor children in the United States reaching the age of 18 while their parents are incarcerated. Whereas the United States’ population is made of 255 of the minor communities such as the blacks and Hispanics, they constitute 80% of the population that is incarcerated (Akesson et al., 2012). The likelihood of an African-American being detained is 6times higher as compared to the whites. The likelihood of a black child having an imprisoned parent was 9 times higher compared to the white ( Schnittker, Michael & Uggen, 2011) . This information prompts an urgent research into understanding the correlation between incarceration of a parent and the effect it has on the behavior of their children.
Literature Review
There has not been much study on the effects that imprisonment of an adult on their children and their families. Despite the lack of the studies, there is widespread assumption that imprisonment of adults affects children negatively including straining relationships between them and their peer. The study by Corcoran et al., (2005) tries to find out the effect that antisocial behaviors has on increasing the likelihood of experiencing ill health (Corcoran et al., 2005). The study reveals that incarcerated youths tend to develop criminal behaviors. A similar study is the one conducted by Koposov & Ruchkin, (2011) which tries to explain if the exposure of youths to violence can affect their live and health. The research revealed that people that experience violence live with pain and trauma all through their lives (Koposov & Ruchkin, 2011).
The study of this topic has been focused on the effects children are exposed in cases of parental violence, separation, and divorce. Investigating the effects of incarceration of adults shades light on the negative effects it has on children including straining parent-child bond, unstable living situations, stigmatization and financial difficulties. A study by Morosan et al., (2017) tries to reveal if antisocial behaviors affect the way individuals perceives and processes emotion recognition and perspective taking (Morosan et al., 2017). The results from the study agreed with the findings from other studies. The children of incarcerated parents tend to display aggression, antisocial cues, and criminal behaviors. Powel (2014) carried a research to assess whether the juvenile systems motivate positive developments on youth offenders. The results of the study reveal that the current system is not only an inappropriate form of correction but also hardens the youth offenders making them prone to criminal behaviors (Powel, 2014). The study by Schnittker, Michael & Uggen (2011) attempted to explain how individuals that are incacerated suffer many health consitions after imprisonment. The reasearch revealed that most of the indiviaduals are exposed to serious health conditions in prison and they do not get enough medical attention which translates to serious health consitions once they are out of prison (Schnittker, Michael & Uggen, 2011).
Objective of the Study
The main objective of this study is to comprehend the long-term effects that incarceration of adults has on the mental health of their children inclusive of substance abuse, development of criminal behaviors and identifying probable intervention policies.
Variables in the Study
The variables in the study are the child behavior and health issues that are as a result of imprisonment of the parents. The variable that we are interested in the study is the change in the behavior of the child. The independent variable in the study is imprisonment of the adults. The study will try to see the effect that both short term and long term imprisonment of the adult will have on the health of the child.
Research Methodology
The type of research used in this study is qualitative research .The main research method that I used in this study interviews , use of questionnaire and observations. Gathering data from the children and their caregivers immediately after detainment of their parents or guardians will help note the changes that occur in children needs and general effect on the health status of the children (Koposov & Ruchkin, 2011). The in-depth interviews with the parents either at home or in prison will also help give insights to the research question. The method of collecting data will be by use of interviews. From the point where the parent id detained, I will seek counsel with their children to take notes on how they feel about the separation with their parents. The interview with children will involve children that are age-eligible. I will also interview the parents on their views about the state of their children. The caregivers are also another set of human subjects that I will interview in the study.
I will issue questionnaires to the caregivers so that they can fill in the required information on the behavior change of the children after the imprisonment of their parents.
Observation is also another form over which I will use in data collection. Behavior is an observable characteristic and therefore observing the changes that take place will be useful in providing insights in to the research question (Morosan et al., 2017). Since the interviews constitute use of vulnerable populations, there has been the development of necessary protection to the participants. The clinical backup will be provided to all the participants. A list of all the health organizations around the place of study should be provided to the caregivers.
Sampling Method
The target population in the study is the parents that have been involved in the criminal justice system (CJS). A sample of detained adults will be randomly drawn from South Bronx, New York City. The population of prisoners in the Bronx represents 21% of the total prison admissions. This is a proportionate population size that can effectively represent the whole population. The residents from this area come from the minority communities, 59.1% were Hispanics and 30.2% Blacks. A total of 800 adults are drawn with an equal number of 400 from the maternal study and another 400 from the paternal study . The sample is the group of parents that have children who are of between ages of 10 and 14. The type of data that is targeted includes the response from the interviews and questionnaires administered to the children, the parents, and the caregivers .
Conclusion
The increased cases of imprisonment of parents have adverse effects on the children and families. This has prompted a study to show the effect that incarceration has on both the behavior and the health of the children and the families. The study will use the qualitative method of research. These include the use of interviews, observation, and use of a questionnaire . The data being collected is the response from the parents imprisoned, the children of the imprisoned parents and the caregivers. The objective of the study is to inform the adverse effects of incarceration on the health of the children. Necessary protections have been put in place to protect the human subjects of the study since it involves interviewing the vulnerable populace. The study will take up to 12 months to be sure about the changes that take place among the children.
References
Akesson, B., Smyth, M., Mandell, D., Doan, T., Donia , K., & Hoven, C. (2012). Parental involvement with the criminal justice system and the effects of their children: a collaborative model for researching vulnerable families. Journal of PMC, 27(0), 148-164. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov /pmc/articles/PMC4110213/ .
Corcoran, Kevin., Washington, Alex., & Meyers, Nancy. (2005). The impact of gang membership on mental health symptoms, behavior problems and antisocial criminality of incarcerated young men. Journal of Gang Research, 12(4), 25-35. Retrieved from http://www.ngcrc.com/journalofgangresearch/jour.v12n4.corcoran.fin.pdf .
Koposov, R., & Ruchkin, V. (2011). Exposure to community violence, psychopathology, and personality traits in Russian youth. Journal of Depression Research and Treatment. 2011, 1-10. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/909076 .
Morosan, L., Badoud, D., Zaharia, A., Brosch, T., Eliez, S., & Bateman, A. (2017). Emotion recognition and perspective are taking: a comparison between typical and incarcerated male adolescents. Journal Plos One. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone. 0170646 .
Powel, Virginia. (2014). Breaking youth behind bars: a literature review, what are the psychological effects of incarceration on youth ? UC Merced Undergraduate Research Journal. 7(1), 41-58. Retrieved from https:/scholarship.org/uc/item/7c63f0qc
Schnittker, J., Michael, M., & Uggen, C. (2011). Incarceration and the health of the African American community. Retrieved from http://users.soc.umn.edu/~uggen/Schnittker_Massoglia_Uggen_DR_11.pdf .
