Identify at least three implications for children whose parent(s) are incarcerated and discuss what could be done to alleviate these problems for children.

Children of incarcerated Americans are three times more likely than other children to become involved in the justice system according to a 2015 Central Connecticut State study. Typically, children of incarcerated parents grew up in household where the father did not have any college education, and likely no high qschool diploma, and was never married to the mother. 90 percent of U.S. prisoners are men. According to a study done in 2001 at The University of California “nearly half (48%) of the parents in state facilities and over a third in federal prisons (38%) were never married; 25-28% were divorced or separated. Only 23% of state inmate parents and 36% of federal inmate parents were married. In terms of education, most did not have a high school diploma (7% in state prison; 6% in federal prison), but nearly 30% had obtained a GED. Only 13% of state inmate parents reported any college education, but 25% of federal inmate parents reported some college education.”

Lack of a father figure causes devastating emotional affects. Fatherless children typically have a diminished self-concept, and often they feel abandoned and have compromised emotional security therefore. Fatherless children consistently report struggling with their emotions and have episodic bouts of self-loathing. behavioral problems (fatherless children have more difficulties with social adjustment, and are more likely to report problems with friendships, and manifest behavior problems; many develop a swaggering, intimidating persona in an attempt to disguise their feeling of inadequacy.

Children are also more likely not to graduate from college if they don’t have a a parent at home, leading to comprised earning power in adulthood.