The Dynamics of Intra-Family Relationships During Incarceration and the Implications for Children of Incarcerated Parents

• DOI: 10.1177/0306624X18755481
• Date: 01 September 2018
• Author: John K. Cochran,Heeuk D. Lee,Youngki Woo,Hyojong Song
• Published date: 01 September 2018
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X18755481

International Journal of

Offender Therapy and

Comparative Criminology

2018, Vol. 62(12) 3775 –3796

© The Author(s) 2018

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DOI: 10.1177/0306624X18755481

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Article

The Dynamics of Intra-

Family Relationships During

Incarceration and the

Implications for Children of

Incarcerated Parents

Hyojong Song1, Youngki Woo2, Heeuk D. Lee3,

and John K. Cochran4

Abstract

The current study examines effects of changes in intra-family relationships after

parental incarceration on internalizing behaviors of the children of incarcerated

parents. Using data from a sample of 249 incarcerated parents with minor children

in South Korea, the present study found that perceived degradation of family

relationships among inmate parents, their non-incarcerated spouses, and children

was a significant risk factor of internalizing behaviors of children of incarcerated

parents. The current study also found that inmate parents who had more frequent

family contact were more likely to perceive improvements of all forms of intra-family

relationships during incarceration. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Keywords

dynamics of family relationships, parental incarceration, children of incarcerated

parents, internalizing behaviors, family contact

1University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, USA

2Washington State University, Pullman, USA

3Weber State University, Ogden, UT, USA

4University of South Florida, Tampa, USA

Corresponding Author:

Hyojong Song, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, One West

University Blvd., Brownsville, TX 78520, USA.

Email: hyojong.song@utrgv.edu

755481IJOXXX10.1177/0306624X18755481International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative CriminologySong et al.

research-article2018

3776 International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 62(12)

Introduction

A large and growing body of empirical research has identified a number of adverse

effects of incarceration on offenders, their families, and communities (Bhati & Piquero,

2008; Chung & McFadden, 2010; Clear, 2007, 2008; E. I. Johnson & Easterling, 2012;

Turney, 2014a). These deleterious effects of incarceration especially harm the children

of incarcerated parents. Prior research indicates that parental incarceration has numer-

ous unintended effects on children of inmates, including internalizing behaviors, men-

tal health problems, antisocial behaviors, truancy/school failure, substance abuse,

delinquency, criminal justice involvement, and child mortality (Cho, 2009; Foster &

Hagan, 2013; Huebner & Gustafson, 2007; R. C. Johnson, 2009; Mears & Siennick,

2016; Muftić, Bouffard, & Armstrong, 2016; Murray & Farrington, 2005; Murray &

Farrington, 2008a, 2008b; Murray, Farrington, & Sekol, 2012; Murray, Janson, &

Farrington, 2007; Poehlmann, 2005b; Wilbur et al., 2007; Wildeman, Andersen, Lee,

& Karlson, 2014; Will, Whalen, & Loper, 2014). Furthermore, many scholars concern

about its additional harms that minor children of incarcerated parents may experience

in local and familial contexts, including poverty, changes of caregiver, family dissolu-

tion, parental substance abuse, stigma and rejection from neighbors and peers, and

participation in gang affiliation or establishment of delinquent peer networks (Aaron

& Dallaire, 2010; Murray et al., 2012; Murray, Loeber, & Pardini, 2012; Nesmith &

Ruhland, 2008).

Although many prior studies have found that positive intra-family relationships

such as parent–child relationship (Cernkovich & Giordano, 1987; Demuth & Brown,

2004; Gove & Crutchfield, 1982; Mack, Leiber, Featherstone, & Monserud, 2007) and

marital relationship (Gove & Crutchfield, 1982; McCord, 1991; Schermerhorn,

Cummings, DeCarlo, & Davies, 2007; see also Davies & Cummings, 1994) were criti-

cal factors in preventing delinquent behaviors and other adverse outcomes for chil-

dren, dynamics of intra-family relationships in the context of incarceration and its

effects on minor children have rarely been discussed. Some scholars recently pointed

out that diverse pre- or post-incarceration familial contexts (e.g., family relationship

prior to incarceration, economic strain, strained parenting, family visitation, inmate’s

participation in parenting programs; see Murray & Farrington, 2008a) might be related

to heterogeneous outcomes for children of incarcerated parents including deleterious

(Mears & Siennick, 2016; Muftić et al., 2016; Murray et al., 2012), null (Turney &

Wildeman, 2015; Wildeman & Turney, 2014), inconsequential (Turanovic, Rodriguez,

& Pratt, 2012), and even beneficial (see Dallaire & Wilson, 2010; Murray, Bijleveld,

Farrington, & Loeber, 2014) effects. As dynamics of intra-family relationships after

parental incarceration might also be directly related to these familial conditions pre- or

post-incarceration, its effects on children need to be examined to understand the com-

plicated heterogeneous effects of parental incarceration on children.

Using a sample of incarcerated South Korean parents who have minor children and

consistent family contact, this study examines whether changes in intra-family rela-

tionships between pre- and post-incarceration can predict their minor children’s inter-

nalizing behaviors. The current study also examines whether familial contexts pre- or