Premium
Examining Social Support Among Adult Children of Incarcerated Parents
Author(s) -
Luther Kate
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
family relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1741-3729
pISSN - 0197-6664
DOI - 10.1111/fare.12134
Subject(s) - grandparent , psychology , psychological resilience , social support , developmental psychology , qualitative research , population , social psychology , demography , sociology , social science
Parental incarceration is related to many challenges and risks, yet we know little about resilience among this population. This study examined how social support contributed to the resilience of a sample of adult children of incarcerated parents. In‐depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 32 college students who had experienced parental incarceration during their childhoods. Social support from caring adults, including caregivers, incarcerated parents, grandparents, older siblings, teachers, and coaches helped facilitate success in light of parental criminality and incarceration. In particular, these adults promoted resilience in 3 ways: (a) providing access to conventional activities, (b) supporting a vision of a better life, and (c) encouraging turning points. Implications for those who work with children of incarcerated parents are discussed.