Exploring Students' Perceptions of Factors That Promoted College Attendance Despite Experiencing Parental Incarceration

Background:

There is an estimated 2.5 million U.S. children who have an incarcerated parent. Much of the current literature focuses on the multiple risk factors, negative outcomes, and chronic chaotic environments these children and youth endure as a result of their parent’s incarceration. Despite these challenges, many children do experience a healthy childhood, prepare for a fulfilling future, and enjoy satisfying, successful lives. 

This qualitative study interviewed current college students that have experienced the incarceration of one or both parents in order to understand their insights surrounding the internal personal characteristics and external environmental factors they feel contributed to their resilience and helped them to make it to college.  Additionally, participants provided suggestions for mental health practitioners and other social service providers and mentors working with children with an incarcerated parent.

Methods:

Data was collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews with four adult students who were currently enrolled at a state university and who had experienced the incarceration of a parent for at least three months or longer at some point. Participants were recruited via posted fliers and announcements made by university professors in their courses.  All participants were female and predominantly White (75%).  All interviews lasted from 45-60 minute and were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim with pseudonyms used.  Data analysis was undertaken using an iterative coding approach guided by grounded theory.

 Results:

Three major themes that emerged from the participants’ perspectives on internal and external factors that influenced their path to college despite parental incarceration included tangible vs. intangible help, flexible freedom vs. concrete connection, and positive optimism vs steady realism.  Tangible help included such areas as financial assistance and life skills and intangible help compromised of encouragement emanating from such people as coaches and supportive adult mentors.  Participants also spoke of having and needing freedom to make their own choices, but also living with steady, consistent caregivers in their lives.  Participants reported seeking and needing solid, healthy relationships that allowed them to explore, but also have a consistent home base to return to.  The third theme included the idea of having honest, realistic conversations about current situations balanced with encouragement and hope for the future.

Conclusion and Implications:

Findings highlight the importance of tangible support for youth placed in precarious situations with parents in prison and the needed support of adult mentors and positive role models.  Children of incarcerated parents may need support and encouragement to enroll in organized school clubs, sports, find employment, and follow any educational and intellectual pursuits of their choice.  Policymakers should be mindful of children’s connection with their imprisoned parent and a healthy stable relationship should be promoted through prison visitation policies that allow for regular contact via letter, phone, and in-person visits.  Social work practitioners should be mindful of the whole person and provide support and help in terms of child’s cognitive development, social skills, behavioral adaptions, emotional control, and any spiritual struggles or journeys they may be pursuing on the path to college despite parent absence due to incarceration.