About 2.7 million kids, which is around 1 in 28 children under 18, have a mom or dad who is in jail. And because most people are eventually released from jail and return to their families and communities, even more kids will go through the experience of having a parent in prison during their lifetime.
Parental incarceration is when a parent goes to jail, which can be a very bad experience for a child.
It can be a very stressful or upsetting event that can affect a child’s health and well-being for a long time.
This usually happens along with other things that cause stress, like when parents get divorced, the family doesn’t have enough money, or someone in the household has a problem with drugs or alcohol.
However, having a parent in prison is different from other things that cause stress in a family or negative experiences during childhood.
Families can also have financial problems.
The family’s income can immediately reduce, leading to additional challenges in acquiring their essential needs.
They also need more help from the government.
Studies show that kids with parents in jail, especially dads, struggle in school.
There are many bad things that can happen to students because of these problems.
For example, they might miss a lot of school, be put in special classes that are not right for them, have to repeat a grade, get kicked out of school, or do poorly on tests.
It can also affect how much education they get, like if they finish high school or go to college.
Kids with fathers in jail have more emotional, behavioral, and focus issues compared to kids without incarcerated fathers.
This is because most research studies focus on the effects of fathers being imprisoned rather than mothers or both parents being in jail, since more children are impacted by a father being in jail than a mother.
Both when fathers and mothers are in jail, it can have bad effects on how well children do in school.
It might be helpful to teach teachers more about how common it is for parents to be in prison.
They should also understand that many kids whose parents go to jail also face more challenges in their childhood, like their family being unstable, their parents having problems with drugs, and violence.
Understanding that many children have parents who are in prison, especially children who already face difficulties that can affect their overall happiness, may help reduce the negative judgment these children face.
Teachers can make sure not to single out or draw attention to children who have parents in jail, and they can avoid judging, blaming, or labeling these children.
This approach can help children by reminding them that their parent being in jail is not their fault.
It also tells the other kids in the class that they shouldn’t judge, blame, or label children whose parents are in jail.
There is limited knowledge regarding school programs that could assist children with incarcerated parents.
More research is needed, but two programs seem to be promising.
One such program is POPS (Pain of the Prison System) which could be used for creating and providing services to children whose parents are in prison.
POPS enables students to engage in three types of creative expression:
- Self-expression, which gives students the opportunity to share their experiences through writing, drawing, photography, and performance.
- Self-healing, which gives students the opportunity to participate in mindfulness activities.
- Community engagement, which allows students to listen to and engage with outside speakers.
Another program called Amachi, helps kids who have parents in prison by matching them with a mentor who spends time with them once a week and offers them guidance and support.
Both of these programs offer ways that schools can help children with parents in prison. Some schools have a special opportunity to start clubs that can really help reduce the negative views towards kids with parents in jail, and also give them the emotional support they need. If making a program like this is not possible, teachers can still help kids with parents in prison feel better and less stressed.