Contact experiences and needs of children of prisoners before and during COVID-19: Findings from an Australian survey
Date
2021-08-22
Authors
Flynn, Catherine
Bartels, Lorana
Dennison, Susan
Taylor, Helen
Harrigan, Susy
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Abstract
Most of the research examining children visiting a parent in prison indicates that visits have a positive impact on children's well-being, their connection to the imprisoned parent and the parent themselves. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a significant change to prison visits worldwide, with limits or bans on face-to-face contact. Understanding the experiences and needs of children during this period remains limited. This paper presents the findings of a survey of 84 carers of 184 children across Australia, investigating children's experiences of contact with their imprisoned parent both before and during COVID-19 restrictions. Although most carers reported maintaining contact during restrictions, a range of difficulties were noted: reduced availability; the effect of prison-based issues, including lockdowns; and the suitability of video/telephone visits for young children. Some described the benefits of videoconferencing, including reduced travel time and cost, and not needing to take children into a prison environment. Despite this, respondents typically described the negative impact of restrictions, and lack of physical contact, on children's emotional well-being. Our findings suggest that, for video visiting to be successful, it should be complementary to in-person visits, tailored to the needs of children, with support offered to families.
Description
Keywords
Australia, children, COVID-19, pandemic, parenting, prison visits
Citation
Flynn, C., Bartels, L., Dennison, S., Taylor, H., & Harrigan, S. (2021). Contact experiences and needs of children of prisoners before and during COVID-19: Findings from an Australian survey. Child & Family Social Work, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12873
Collections
Source
Child and Family Social Work
Type
Journal article
Book Title
Entity type
Access Statement
Open Acccess
License Rights
Restricted until
Downloads
File
Description
Author Accepted Manuscript