NCJ Number
216703
Journal
Criminology & Public Policy Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2006 Pages: 677-702
Date Published
November 2006
Length
26 pages
Annotation
Using longitudinal data from the Great Smoky Mountains Study, this study analyzed whether parent criminal justice system (CJS) involvement mediated the effect of parent risks on children’s exposure to family risks.
Abstract
The findings indicated that parent CJS involvement was associated with a significant increase in the likelihood that children would experience family risks independent of the effects of parent risks. Children with parents who had been arrested had a greater likelihood of experiencing two types of family risks: economic strain and family instability. Family structure and quality of care, on the other hand, were not significantly impacted by parent CJS involvement but were instead directly impacted by parental substance abuse, mental health problems, and lack of education. The findings suggest that mass incarceration may contribute to ecological circumstances associated with high crime rates, particularly poverty (economic strain) and population mobility (family instability). The findings also suggest that correctional programs must do more than offer parenting programs to intervene in the intergenerational pattern of incarceration. Programs targeting parental substance abuse, mental health problems, and lack of education are also needed to stop the cycle of crime and incarceration. Data were drawn from the Great Smoky Mountains Study, a longitudinal study of youth from 11 rural counties in North Carolina. The oldest participants were born in 1979 and 1980. Participants were randomly selected from all public school districts in the participating 11 counties. Parents completed a mental health screening questionnaire via telephone interview and all children who scored above the 75 percentile were recruited for the study sample (n=1,073 children). Data were collected from the youth and their parents using the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment interview, which focused on gathering information about parent CJS involvement, parent risk factors, and family risk exposure. Data were analyzed using the generalized estimation equation, which involves fitting generalized regression models for longitudinal data. Future research should focus on how individual risk factors are affected by parent CJS involvement. Tables, references