Introduction
Incarceration has a significant impact on a person, but what about his or her children? The key subject of the assessment is the mental health of children with incarcerated parents. The importance and substantiality of parental influence on children cannot be overstated. Not only an incarcerated parent is absent from his or her child’s life, but these children become more vulnerable to mental health, more exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and impacted throughout their lives.
Discussion
Firstly, children with incarcerated parents become more at risk for mental health issues. A study found that children “with incarcerated parents are at elevated risk for mental health problems, and strong parent-child relationships partially buffer children from risk” (Davis & Shlafer, 2017, p. 120). Evidence directly supports the claim in regards to vulnerability.
Secondly, incarcerated parents’ children are significantly more likely to experience ACEs. It is stated that “children of incarcerated parents are disproportionately exposed to other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), defined as potentially stressful or traumatic events such as abuse or neglect” (Turney, 2018, p. 218). Evidence directly supports the claim that incarcerated parents are more prone to abuse their children.
Thirdly, mental health issues of children of incarcerated parents can last throughout their lifetimes. Evidence suggests that “parental incarceration impairs children’s wellbeing throughout the life course” (Turney & Goodsell, 2018, p. 147). The source directly supports the claim of the long-lasting effect of parental incarceration on children’s mental health. An opposing view would be that the mental health issues are not due to incarceration but to abusive parents, where the punitive measure simply exacerbates the condition (Morgan-Mullane, 2017, p. 200).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the most important claim is that incarceration has a major impact on children’s wellbeing. It makes children more prone to develop mental health problems and experience child abuse with lasting effects. The justice system needs to be aware of such consequences when imposing a punitive measure on a person being incarcerated.
References
Davis, L., & Shlafer, R. J. (2017). Mental health of adolescents with currently and formerly incarcerated parents. Journal of Adolescence, 54, 120-134. Web.
Morgan-Mullane, A. (2017). Trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy with children of incarcerated parents. Clinical Social Work Journal, 46, 200-209. Web.
Turney, K. (2018). Adverse childhood experiences among children of incarcerated parents. Children and Youth Services Review, 89, 218-225. Web.
Turney, K., & Goodsell, R. (2018). Parental incarceration and children’s wellbeing. The Future of Children, 28(1), 147-164. Web.