The psychosocial needs of children whose parents are incarcerated

Abstract

The goal of the research is to explore how children experience the incarceration of a parent, describe the psychosocial needs of children due to the absence of the parent and determine whether any specific services are rendered to them. The study was conducted within the qualitative research approach and an exploratory research design was utilized. Ten participants in Kimberley between 14 and 18 years participated in the study. The data was collected by means of a semi-structured one-on-one interview and a standardized questionnaire which measured different aspects of a child's social functioning. The main findings of the study were as follows: • The children experienced the incarceration of their parent as traumatic and they expressed feelings of loss, anxiety, confusion and unhappiness. • The financial, emotional and educational needs of the children are not being met due to the absence of the parent. • Most of the participants received no professional or support services and expressed the need for a variety of services. Based on the research findings, recommendations have been made on various interventions and services which could be implemented for children of whom the parent is incarcerated.