The role of stress and absence: How household member incarceration is associated with risky sexual health behaviors

How Parental Incarceration Shapes the Timing and Structure of Fertility for Children of Incarcerated Parents

The timing and structure of fertility have important implications for individuals and society. Families play a critical role in fertility; however, little is known about how parental incarceration shapes fertility despite it being a common experience in the life course of disadvantaged children. This study examines the consequences of parental incarceration for children's fertility using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997. I employ multiple-decrement life tables and survival analyses to estimate the relationship between parental incarceration and fertility. Individuals who experience parental incarceration have different timing of fertility, with earlier first births and a quicker pace of subsequent births, as well as more nonmarital fertility, compared with those who do not experience parental incarceration. This analysis finds consistent evidence that parental incarceration is associated with the timing and structure of fertility and suggests that a parent's incarceration carries consequences over the life course of children. This study advances our understanding of how mass incarceration shapes American families, illustrates how the broader consequences of mass incarceration contribute to social inequality, and provides evidence that the enduring implications of incarceration span multiple generations.

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Acculturation, and Risky Sexual Behaviors in Hispanic Young Adults: Findings from Project RED

While adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are well-documented predictors of maladaptive behaviors in adulthood, including risky sexual behaviors (RSB), the influence of acculturation in this association remains unknown. Although Hispanics are a rapidly growing population in the United States and are disproportionately affected by adverse sexual health outcomes, there is a paucity of research examining the interplay of ACE, acculturation, and RSB in this population. We observed the ACE-RSB association and how this relationship varies across U.S. and Hispanic acculturation levels, in a sample of Hispanic young adults (n = 715). Data for this study were from Project RED, a longitudinal study of Hispanic health. We ran regression models to test associations between ACE (0, 1-3, 4+) and several RSB (e.g., early sexual initiation (≤14 years), condomless sex, lifetime sexual partners, and alcohol/drug use before intercourse), and assessed moderation by U.S./Hispanic acculturation. Compared with those without ACE, individuals with 4 + ACE had higher odds of early sexual initiation (AOR: 2.23), alcohol/drug use before last intercourse (AOR: 2.31), and condomless sex (AOR: 1.66), as well as a higher number of lifetime sexual partners (β: 0.60). For those reporting 4 + ACE, high U.S. acculturation was protective in the association between ACE and using alcohol/drugs before intercourse. Future research implications are discussed.

The intergenerational effects of paternal incarceration on children's social and psychological well-being from early childhood to adolescence

The present study sought to unravel the psychological processes through which mass incarceration, specifically paternal incarceration, is negatively affecting the next generation of children. Data came from 4,327 families from 20 cities who participated in a 10-year longitudinal study. Parents and children reported on children's rule-breaking behaviors and depressive symptoms when they were on average ages 5 (2003-2006), 9 (2007-2010), and 15 (2014-2017). Parental surveys and disposition information were combined to assess paternal incarceration at each age. Results showed that children who experienced paternal incarceration at age 5 also demonstrated more rule-breaking behaviors at age 15. Children's age-9 depressive symptoms partially mediated our finding, such that children who experienced paternal incarceration at age 5 also showed greater depressive symptoms at age 9, which in turn predicted greater rule-breaking behaviors at age 15. Paternal incarceration predicted future rule-breaking behaviors more strongly than did other forms of father loss. Because we found paternal incarceration during childhood is associated with worsened adjustment into adolescence, we discussed the need for developmentally appropriate practices in the criminal justice system.

The Health and Development of Young Children Who Witnessed Their Parent's Arrest Prior to Parental Jail Incarceration

Most U.S. incarceration occurs in jails, with more than 10 million annual admissions, and most individuals in jail are parents of minor children. In this short-term longitudinal study, we examined the health and development of young children who did or did not witness their parent's arrest prior to parental jail incarceration. 228 individuals in 76 triads (incarcerated parents, children, at-home caregivers) were enrolled from four jails in two states. Jailed parents and caregivers reported on whether the child witnessed the parent's arrest or crime. Children's caregivers completed questionnaires about children's emotional symptoms during the prior 6 months and demographics, as well as children's emotional reactions to separation from the parent and child health at the initial assessment and 2 weeks later. Trained researchers conducted a developmental assessment with children while waiting to visit parents. Results of regression-based moderated mediation analyses indicated that when their emotional symptoms were high, children who witnessed parental arrest were more likely to have poorer health initially and more intense negative reactions to the parent leaving for jail. In addition, when children's general emotional symptoms were low, children who witnessed their parent's arrest were more likely to exhibit developmental delays, especially in their early academic skills, compared to children who did not witness the arrest. Witnessing the parent's crime related to missed milestones in social and adaptive development. Findings have implications for policies regarding safeguarding children during parental arrest and referrals for health- and development-promotion services following parental criminal justice system involvement.

Parental Incarceration, Child Adversity, and Child Health: A Strategic Comparison Approach

Background: Research points to parental incarceration as an important social determinant of child health. Even so, studies examining the health impact of parental incarceration in the context of diverse childhood stressors and adversities are lacking. Methods: The present study uses a large, nationally representative sample to compare U.S. children who were exposed to parental incarceration to a strategic comparison group of U.S. children who were not exposed to parental incarceration, but were nonetheless exposed to alternative family stressors and adversities. Results: The initial findings generally reveal worse health among children exposed to parental incarceration compared to those who are not exposed. Even so, these differences were partially or completely attenuated when comparing the incarceration-exposed group to more comparable groups of children exposed to a varying degree of alternative stressors/adversities. Conclusions: Programmatic efforts targeting parental incarceration as a means of promoting child health may be enhanced by adequately addressing co-occurring family stressors and child adversities.