TY - JOUR
T1 - The intergenerational effects of paternal incarceration on children's social and psychological well-being from early childhood to adolescence
AU - Del Toro, Juan
AU - Fine, Adam
AU - Wang, Ming Te
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by Grant 202100287 from the Spencer Foundation to Dr. Juan Del Toro.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - The present study sought to unravel the psychological processes through which mass incarceration, specifically paternal incarceration, is negatively affecting the next generation of children. Data came from 4,327 families from 20 cities who participated in a 10-year longitudinal study. Parents and children reported on children's rule-breaking behaviors and depressive symptoms when they were on average ages 5 (2003-2006), 9 (2007-2010), and 15 (2014-2017). Parental surveys and disposition information were combined to assess paternal incarceration at each age. Results showed that children who experienced paternal incarceration at age 5 also demonstrated more rule-breaking behaviors at age 15. Children's age-9 depressive symptoms partially mediated our finding, such that children who experienced paternal incarceration at age 5 also showed greater depressive symptoms at age 9, which in turn predicted greater rule-breaking behaviors at age 15. Paternal incarceration predicted future rule-breaking behaviors more strongly than did other forms of father loss. Because we found paternal incarceration during childhood is associated with worsened adjustment into adolescence, we discussed the need for developmentally appropriate practices in the criminal justice system.
AB - The present study sought to unravel the psychological processes through which mass incarceration, specifically paternal incarceration, is negatively affecting the next generation of children. Data came from 4,327 families from 20 cities who participated in a 10-year longitudinal study. Parents and children reported on children's rule-breaking behaviors and depressive symptoms when they were on average ages 5 (2003-2006), 9 (2007-2010), and 15 (2014-2017). Parental surveys and disposition information were combined to assess paternal incarceration at each age. Results showed that children who experienced paternal incarceration at age 5 also demonstrated more rule-breaking behaviors at age 15. Children's age-9 depressive symptoms partially mediated our finding, such that children who experienced paternal incarceration at age 5 also showed greater depressive symptoms at age 9, which in turn predicted greater rule-breaking behaviors at age 15. Paternal incarceration predicted future rule-breaking behaviors more strongly than did other forms of father loss. Because we found paternal incarceration during childhood is associated with worsened adjustment into adolescence, we discussed the need for developmentally appropriate practices in the criminal justice system.
KW - intergenerational consequences
KW - mental health
KW - paternal incarceration
KW - rule-breaking behavior
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U2 - 10.1017/S0954579421001693
DO - 10.1017/S0954579421001693
M3 - Article
C2 - 35285432
AN - SCOPUS:85126942473
SN - 0954-5794
JO - Development and psychopathology
JF - Development and psychopathology
ER -