It is estimated that approximately 3% of children (so potentially one child in every average class of 30 children / young people) have a parent in prison, whilst there are others who have some other family member in prison. There is however no formal record of who these children are and whether they are receiving support, often meaning that they are a hidden cohort. There can be many barriers to children and young people telling us that they have a family member in prison, for example shame, stigma and embarrassment. You may find that children have been told that their family member is “staying away”, therefore not knowing the true reason as to why that person is not around.
Children with family members in prison
What else might they have seen?
Where a child or young person has a parent or other close family member in prison, they may have been witness to or involved in the act(s) that had led to the prison sentence. The Police may have raided the home, there may be gang involvement, substance misuse, parental mental ill health or domestic abuse. We therefore need to remain open minded as to what issues may be impacting on the child or young person in front of us.
Resources
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Are you a young person with a family member in prison?
Aimed at children and young people aged 10 years plus with a family member in prison. Explores some of the issues young people may face throughout the offender journey such as, keeping in touch, telling friends, and what to do at school. It includes quotes from young people who have a parent in prison, and a list of useful helplines and organisations.
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Children Heard and Seen
Link to webpage of Children Heard and Seen who support children, young people and their families who are impacted by parental imprisonment. It is estimated that 312,000 children each year have a parent in prison, although there is no database of who these children are and whether they are receiving support. As the prison population continues to rise, so does the number of children impacted.