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Parental imprisonment: long-lasting effects on boys' internalizing problems through the life course
Joseph Murray1, David P Farrington
1University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. jm335@cam.ac.uk
Development and Psychopathology
|January 24, 2008
Summary
Parental imprisonment can lead to long-lasting internalizing problems and antisocial behaviors in children. This study found that separation due to a parent
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Criminology
- Child Psychiatry
Background:
- Previous research indicates children exhibit internalizing and externalizing behaviors in response to parental imprisonment.
- A gap exists in understanding the long-term effects of parental imprisonment on children's internalizing problems using rigorous methodologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of parental imprisonment on the development of internalizing problems in boys.
- To examine the long-term consequences of parental separation due to imprisonment on children's mental health and behavior.
Main Methods:
- Utilized prospective longitudinal data from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development.
- Compared boys separated due to parental imprisonment (first 10 years) with four control groups.
- Assessed individual, parenting, and family risk factors for internalizing problems in childhood (ages 8-11).
Main Results:
- Parental imprisonment separation predicted boys' internalizing problems from age 14 to 48.
- This association remained significant after controlling for childhood risk factors, including parental criminality.
- Separation due to parental imprisonment also predicted the co-occurrence of internalizing and antisocial problems.
Conclusions:
- Parental imprisonment may be a causal factor in the development of persistent internalizing and antisocial problems in children.
- The effects of parental imprisonment on child development require further investigation with robust longitudinal designs.
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