Child protection system involvement in children of incarcerated mothers: A linked data study.
Child maltreatment
Child protection system contact
Children of women prisoners
Family friendly prisons
Linked data
Maternal incarceration
Journal
Child abuse & neglect
ISSN: 1873-7757
Titre abrégé: Child Abuse Negl
Pays: England
ID NLM: 7801702
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
05 2023
05 2023
Historique:
received:
30
06
2022
revised:
15
02
2023
accepted:
21
02
2023
medline:
4
4
2023
pubmed:
9
3
2023
entrez:
8
3
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Women prisoners are a growing portion of the prison population. Health and social outcomes of their children have been studied and found to be poor, but little is known about child protection outcomes. Ascertain child protection system contact of children exposed to maternal incarceration. All children born between 1985 and 2011 exposed to the incarceration of their mothers in a Western Australian correctional facility and a matched comparison group. A matched cohort study using linked administrative data on 2637 mothers entering prison between 1985 and 2015 and their 6680 children. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of child protection service (CPS) contact post maternal incarceration (four concern levels), comparing rates for children exposed to maternal incarceration with a matched non-exposed group, adjusting for maternal and child factors. Exposure to maternal incarceration increased risk of CPS contact. Unadjusted HRs exposed vs unexposed children were 7.06 (95%CI = 6.49-7.69) for substantiated child maltreatment and 12.89 (95%CI = 11.42-14.55) for out-of-home care (OOHC). Unadjusted IRRs were 6.04 (95%CI = 5.57-6.55) for number of substantiations and 12.47 (95%CI = 10.65-14.59) for number of removals to OOHC. HRs and IRRs were only slightly attenuated in adjusted models. Maternal incarceration is a warning flag for a child at high risk of serious child protection concerns. Family-friendly rehabilitative women's prisons, incorporating support for more nurturing mother-child relationships could provide a placed-based public health opportunity for disrupting distressing life trajectories and intergenerational pathways of disadvantage of these vulnerable children and their mothers. This population should be a priority for trauma-informed family support services.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Women prisoners are a growing portion of the prison population. Health and social outcomes of their children have been studied and found to be poor, but little is known about child protection outcomes.
OBJECTIVES
Ascertain child protection system contact of children exposed to maternal incarceration.
PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING
All children born between 1985 and 2011 exposed to the incarceration of their mothers in a Western Australian correctional facility and a matched comparison group.
METHODS
A matched cohort study using linked administrative data on 2637 mothers entering prison between 1985 and 2015 and their 6680 children. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of child protection service (CPS) contact post maternal incarceration (four concern levels), comparing rates for children exposed to maternal incarceration with a matched non-exposed group, adjusting for maternal and child factors.
FINDINGS
Exposure to maternal incarceration increased risk of CPS contact. Unadjusted HRs exposed vs unexposed children were 7.06 (95%CI = 6.49-7.69) for substantiated child maltreatment and 12.89 (95%CI = 11.42-14.55) for out-of-home care (OOHC). Unadjusted IRRs were 6.04 (95%CI = 5.57-6.55) for number of substantiations and 12.47 (95%CI = 10.65-14.59) for number of removals to OOHC. HRs and IRRs were only slightly attenuated in adjusted models.
CONCLUSIONS
Maternal incarceration is a warning flag for a child at high risk of serious child protection concerns. Family-friendly rehabilitative women's prisons, incorporating support for more nurturing mother-child relationships could provide a placed-based public health opportunity for disrupting distressing life trajectories and intergenerational pathways of disadvantage of these vulnerable children and their mothers. This population should be a priority for trauma-informed family support services.
Identifiants
pubmed: 36889149
pii: S0145-2134(23)00107-2
doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106126
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
106126Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests.