Submitted by crinadmin on
Very few people, the general public and policymakers alike, discuss the repercussions of parental incarceration for children when discussing policy reform within the justice system. To counter this deficit, a new three-year child-centred transnational project called the Children of Imprisoned Parents, Interventions & Mitigations to Strengthen Mental Health (COPING) aims to investigate the characteristics of children with imprisoned parents, their resilience and their vulnerability to mental health problems. The study is being carried out in four countries: the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and Romania, with a sample of 875 children, making it the first ever project of this scope to be carried out with the active participation of children with imprisoned parents. To date, 575 surveys have been carried out, assessing such variables as family dynamics prior to and during incarceration; the meanings children attribute to parental incarceration; life at school; and perceptions of the impact of incarceration on carers. The surveys, which draw on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, are being followed up by qualitative in-depth interviews with approximately forty children per country involved. The study takes a holistic perspective, also including surveys for carers and imprisoned parents. The COPING project aims to raise government and public awareness about their plight and to encourage new legislation. It already indicates that some negative outcomes can be greatly reduced with simple changes in prison policy, such as more visiting hours, awareness raising and training for prison staff, and opportunities to maintain regular contact with a parent in prison. Further policy recommendations will doubtless emerge as the project develops in the next 18 months. See attached document for further details. COPING website: www.coping-project.eu