Abstract
This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study considered the lived experience of having a parent or parental figure incarcerated during one’s adolescence. The study analyzed 15 in-depth, in-person, semi-structured interviews with six participants between the ages of 18 and 29 from the city of Chicago. Textural-structural analysis indicated five separate results: the influence of parental incarceration on the developmental experience, the emotional influence of parental incarceration, the social influence of parental incarceration, the spiritual influence of parental incarceration, and the three key aspects of the experience (truth, the kind of relationship the participant had with the incarcerated parent, and the availability of an attuned subsequent caregiver). The analysis indicated that an adolescent’s adaptation to the world after experiencing this phenomenon fell into one of three spheres of adaptation. A number of clinical and social justice implications were identified along with avenues for future research to better understand the phenomenon and how it affects those who experience it.
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Notes
In the interest of clarity, going forward “parent” is used to stand in for both parent and parental figure.
The online version of the Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health (2003) defines adaptation as the following: “a dynamic, ongoing, life-sustaining process by which living organisms adjust to environmental changes” (Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, 2003). This article uses this definition of adaptation.
This study defined incarceration based on the current literature. Incarceration was considered as serving a sentence of two years or longer in a state or federal prison (Crayton, Ressler, Mukamal, Jannetta, & Warwick, 2010). The general public commonly uses the terms “jail” and “prison” interchangeably. However, there are major differences between the terms. The presented study used the following definitions: Jail is a place that holds people for a short amount of time when they have been arrested but not convicted of crimes. State or federal prison is a place that houses individuals who have been tried and convicted of crimes (Crayton, Ressler, Mukamal, Jannetta, & Warwick, 2010)
The presented study used the following definition of subsequent caregivers based on the current literature: A subsequent caregiver, sometimes known as kinship care, is considered to be a grandparent, other parent, family relative, foster care agencies, foster homes, or friends who nurture and protect the child and who are there for the child full time (Glaze & Maruschak, 2008; Mumola, 2000; A. Smith, Krisman, Strozier, & Marley, 2004).
CPD (2014) defines the following crimes as Index Crimes: homicide (first and second degrees), criminal sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
CPD (2014) defines the following crimes as Non-Index Crimes: involuntary manslaughter, simple assault, simple battery, forgery and counterfeiting, fraud, embezzlement, stolen property, vandalism, weapons violation, prostitution, criminal sexual abuse, drug abuse, gambling, offenses against family, liquor license, disorderly conduct, and miscellaneous non-index offenses (violations of laws or ordinances).
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Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank her disseration chair, James N. Lampe Ph.D., and dissertation committee for their guidance throughout the project. A special thanks to Ida Roldan Ph.D and Denise Duval Tsioles Ph.D. for your comments and notes on the project.
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This study did not receive any funding from grants or patrons. This study was self-funded, as it was part of a doctoral program
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At the time of submission, the data presented in the article is part of a dissertation manuscript written for completion of a doctoral program at the Institute for Clinical Social Work. At this time, the author has not yet defended this thesis; therefore, the Institute for Clinical Social Work as an institution has not fully vetted the completed project. This study involved human research participants, and ethical approval was received prior to the start of the study. All procedures performed in the study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
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Kautz, S.V. Adolescent Adaptation to Parental Incarceration. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 34, 557–572 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-017-0493-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-017-0493-5