The Lived Experience of Sisters With an Incarcerated Brother: A Phenomenological Study

• Author: Eman Tadros,Janelle Fye,Amber Ray
• Published date: 01 March 2020
• Date: 01 March 2020
• DOI: 10.1177/0306624X19877598
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X19877598

International Journal of

Offender Therapy and

Comparative Criminology

2020, Vol. 64(4) 335 –354

© The Author(s) 2019

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DOI: 10.1177/0306624X19877598

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Article

The Lived Experience of

Sisters With an Incarcerated

Brother: A Phenomenological

Study

Eman Tadros1, Janelle Fye1, and Amber Ray1

Abstract

The major increase of incarcerated individuals in the United States has led to a variety

of issues. The experience of incarceration has an impact on not only the individual but

the entire family system. However, the impact on the sibling relationship has yet to be

explored in the literature. The current study examined the lived experience of sisters

with an incarcerated brother. In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews

with five sisters with an incarcerated brother were conducted. The results displayed

five themes that emerged from the interviews: emotional impact, adjustment, prison

experience, family impact, and stigma. The results informed clinical implications for

marriage and family therapists working within the incarcerated population. In addition,

specific suggestions are provided in how to best advocate for this population through

research and clinical work. Moreover, the current study punctuates the specific and

dire need for therapeutic intervention and broader policy change among many other

efforts.

Keywords

family therapy, incarceration, qualitative, phenomenology, siblings

Introduction

The incarcerated population is considered an underserved population in the United

States (Tadros & Finney, 2018). Rising rates of incarceration and recidivism have led

to an array of unintended consequences not only for the person incarcerated but the

1The University of Akron, OH, USA

Corresponding Author:

Eman Tadros, The University of Akron, 344 Village Pointe Dr., D, Akron, OH 44313, USA.

Email: emantadros@gmail.com

877598IJOXXX10.1177/0306624X19877598International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative CriminologyTadros et al.

research-article2019

336 International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 64(4)

family system as a whole. As shown by a multitude of prior research, incarceration has

shown to have a negative and lasting impact on the family system (Tadros & Finney,

2018). Many family members are left to face various negative consequences due to

having a loved one incarcerated (Datchi & Sexton, 2013). Particularly, partners, par-

ents, and siblings endure various impacts due to incarceration (Datchi & Sexton,

2013).

The unfortunate stress and impact that incarceration has on children, specifically, is a

topic that has been intensely studied and well-documented. However, the whole family

may be confronted with the various contextual, financial, emotional, physical, and psy-

chological effects of incarceration (Tadros, Fye, McCrone, & Finney, 2019). These docu-

mented psychological effects can be detrimental and irreversible (Sexton, 2016).

Furthermore, there has been a large emphasis in the literature on parent–child relation-

ships while investigating incarcerated populations. Although children are a vulnerable

population, incarceration continues to affect other relationships outside the parent–child

subsystem. One relationship in particular that has gone without attention in the literature

is that of the sibling relationship. The sibling relationship is one subsystem that has been

overlooked and understudied, thus creating a dire need for research in this particular area.

Even well into adulthood, sibling relationships influence other family members and

the family system, as a whole. As children and adolescents move into adulthood, their

social networks shift toward a focus on peers and romantic partners, yet parents and

siblings remain important sources of support (Lindell & Campione-Barr, 2017). “At

times sibling relationships may not be a priority during emerging adulthood. However,

maintenance of these relationships at this time, will begin to construct the basis for

supportive long-term relationships when moving into adulthood” (Aquilino, 2006).

After a sibling is incarcerated, what does this experience mean for each sibling and

also how will this affect their role within the family system? If a sibling is incarcerated

upon entering adulthood or while in adulthood, maintaining the sibling relationship at

a level that supports supportive and healthy long-term relationships is a task that

becomes uniquely challenging and difficult to manage. For both individuals within

this particular subsystem, the incarcerated person and the sibling, their roles within the

larger system will drastically change.

For both siblings involved, whether it be the person incarcerated or the non-incar-

cerated sibling, this experience alone has lasting impacts for all involved. Depending

on the developmental stage that a sibling is in, it may be more difficult to cope and

work through this type of trauma. Particularly, siblings who have endured severe

trauma and disrupted attachment communicate with one another in manners that inter-

fere with individual development (Leavitt, Gardner, Gallagher, & Schamess, 1998).

Furthermore, trauma affects the opportunity to benefit from connections with adults,

the creation and maintenance of healthy sibling relationships, and the working through

of those traumatic experiences (Leavitt et al., 1998). Having this information in the

literature and a greater understanding of what this experience entails for particular

family subsystems will offer mental health professionals guidelines for recognizing

and treating sibling relationships that evolve in the context of severe trauma, or incar-

ceration specifically, and disrupted attachment (Leavitt et al., 1998). Nonetheless, the