Coparenting, Negative Educational Outcomes, and Familial Instability in Justice-involved Families

• Author: Eman Tadros,Katherine A. Durante
• Published date: 01 February 2022
• DOI: 10.1177/0306624X211013740
• Date: 01 February 2022
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X211013740

International Journal of

Offender Therapy and

Comparative Criminology

2022, Vol. 66(2-3) 267 –287

© The Author(s) 2021

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DOI: 10.1177/0306624X211013740

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Article

Coparenting, Negative

Educational Outcomes,

and Familial Instability in

Justice-involved Families

Eman Tadros1 and Katherine A. Durante2

Abstract

Incarceration of a parent is associated with negative consequences for children, such as

behavioral problems, the development of antisocial personality traits, and decreased

educational attainment. Data from the Multi-site Family Study on Incarceration,

Parenting, and Partnering was used to analyze four measures of the coparenting

relationship in families in which the father is incarcerated and the mother is not,

to examine if a higher quality, more cohesive coparenting relationship is associated

with fewer adverse childhood experiences for the parents’ shared child. Findings

suggest that children of parents who frequently argue about the child are more likely

to have ever been suspended or expelled from school and are more likely to have

ever had to live outside of the home with a relative, family friend, or foster parents.

Clinical implications are discussed, and future directions call for research, practice,

and training to improve outcomes for incarcerated coparents and their children.

Keywords

academic outcomes, coparenting, incarceration, incarcerated coparenting, marriage

and family therapy

Fifty-two percent of state-incarcerated individuals and 63% of federal-incarcerated

individuals in the United States are parents (Glaze & Maruschak, 2009). Parental

incarceration rates have increased, and around 1.7 million children in the United States

1Governors State University, University Park, IL, USA

2Nevada State College, Henderson, NV, USA

Corresponding Author:

Eman Tadros, Governors State University, 1 University Pkwy, University Park, IL 60466, USA.

Email: emantadros@gmail.com

1013740IJOXXX10.1177/0306624X211013740International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative CriminologyTadros and Durante

research-article2021

268 International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 66(2-3)

have an incarcerated parent, 92% of whom are fathers (Glaze & Maruschak, 2009;

Haskins & Jacobsen, 2017). The National Resource Center on Children and Families

of the Incarcerated (NRCCFI) reports that the increasing number of children with an

incarcerated parent accounts for one of the most significant collateral consequences of

incarceration in the nation (NRCCFI, 2014). Research on incarceration shows that

being involved in the justice system can lead to lower family functioning, impaired

social networks, decreased high school graduation rates, decreased employment rates,

increased violence and victimization, and poorer mental and physical health outcomes

(Alexander, 2010; Wildeman & Andersen, 2015; Wildeman et al., 2019). In this study

we seek to further our understanding of the incarcerated coparenting relationship and

how it impacts the lives of children. Specifically, we examine several measures of the

coparenting relationship and the likelihood a child has been suspended or expelled, has

had to repeat a grade, or has ever had to live outside the home with a relative, family

friend, or foster parent.

Adverse Childhood Experiences

Incarcerated individuals typically have already experienced trauma previous to their

incarceration (Pettus-Davis et al., 2019). Similarly, having an incarcerated parent may

be traumatic; having an incarcerated parent is considered an adverse childhood experi-

ence (ACE) (Felitti et al., 1998). More than half of adults have experienced at least one

type of ACE in their lifetime (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). ACEs

are experiences children may have that can lead to traumatization or potentially devel-

oping social, emotional, and/or cognitive impairments because of their loved one’s

incarceration (Arditti & Savla, 2015; Slaughter et al., 2019). Childhood trauma can

have long-lasting effects into adulthood which has facilitated a variety of negative

outcomes (Crouch et al., 2019).

Academic outcomes. The incarceration of a parent can adversely impact the family

psychologically, physically, financially, and socially (Arditti & Savla, 2015; Wilde-

man, 2014). Experiencing parental incarceration can be traumatic for children, and has

the potential of becoming a pathway for social, emotional, and cognitive neurodevel-

opment impairments (Arditti & Savla, 2015). The incarceration of parents, specifically

fathers, can contribute negatively to the educational outcomes of students (Foster &

Hagan, 2009; Haskins, 2014). Arrastia-Chisholm et al. (2020) find that students with

incarcerated fathers are more likely to be retained in elementary school and placed in

or recommended for special education programs. There are also long-term effects of

incarceration on school-aged children, such as attention deficit, learning disabilities,

and other behavior or conduct problems (Arrastia-Chisholm et al., 2020).

Turney and Goodsell (2018) find that in addition to being held back and being

placed in special education and suspensions, incarcerated fathers are less likely to be

involved in the home or school. Positive outcomes of parental involvement in schools

includes a reduction in the likelihood of dropping out, fewer behavioral problems, and

improved academic achievement (Haskins & Jacobsen, 2017). This decreased