IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i10p6000-d815960.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Motherhood in Alternative Detention Conditions: A Preliminary Case-Control Study

Author

Listed:
  • Carlo Lai

    (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Linda Elisabetta Rossi

    (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Federica Scicchitano

    (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Chiara Ciacchella

    (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Mariarita Valentini

    (Research Center Health Human Care and Social Intercultural Assessment-He.R.A, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
    Satis-Centre for Clinical Psychology, 00198 Rome, Italy)

  • Giovanna Longo

    (Associazione A Roma, Insieme Leda Colombini, 00186 Rome, Italy)

  • Emanuele Caroppo

    (Department of Mental Health, Local Health Unit Roma 2, 00159 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

Many women in detention are mothers and often the sole caregivers of their children. Italy, as most European countries, allows mothers to keep their children with them in detention, with the aim of preserving the fundamental bond between mother and child. Since prison does not seem to provide a good environment for the child’s growth, there are different alternative residential solutions, such as Group Homes. The aim of this preliminary study was to explore the differences between mothers living in detention through alternative measures with their children and mothers who are not detained regarding parenting stress, child behavior from the parent’s perspective, and maternal attachment. Twelve mothers were enrolled in this study, divided equally between the detained and the control groups. Both groups’ participants completed a three-questionnaire battery in order to assess parenting stress, child’s behavior, and maternal attachment. The analyses of variance showed significant differences between the two groups, with the detained group reporting higher scores than the control group in almost all the subscales of parenting stress. The results highlighted that imprisoned mothers might experience more stress than the general population. There is a need to design intervention programs to support parenting in detention.

Suggested Citation

  • Carlo Lai & Linda Elisabetta Rossi & Federica Scicchitano & Chiara Ciacchella & Mariarita Valentini & Giovanna Longo & Emanuele Caroppo, 2022. "Motherhood in Alternative Detention Conditions: A Preliminary Case-Control Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-9, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:10:p:6000-:d:815960
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/10/6000/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/10/6000/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Miller, Alison L. & Weston, Lauren E. & Perryman, Jamie & Horwitz, Talia & Franzen, Susan & Cochran, Shirley, 2014. "Parenting While Incarcerated: Tailoring the Strengthening Families Program for use with jailed mothers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 163-170.
    2. Foster, Holly, 2012. "The strains of maternal imprisonment: Importation and deprivation stressors for women and children," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 221-229.
    3. Monika Dargis & Arielle Mitchell-Somoza, 2021. "Challenges Associated with Parenting While Incarcerated: A Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-16, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Holly Foster, 2017. "Family Complexity and the Stress Process in Prison: How Sibling Living Arrangements of Minor Children Influence Maternal Role Strains," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-13, July.
    2. Stephanie Heinecke Thulstrup & Leena Eklund Karlsson, 2017. "Children of Imprisoned Parents and Their Coping Strategies: A Systematic Review," Societies, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-16, May.
    3. Lawrence M. Berger & Maria Cancian & Laura Cuesta & Jennifer L. Noyes, 2016. "Families at the Intersection of the Criminal Justice and Child Protective Services Systems," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 665(1), pages 171-194, May.
    4. Scheuerman, Heather L., 2013. "The relationship between injustice and crime: A general strain theory approach," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 41(6), pages 375-385.
    5. Eman Tadros & Kerrie Fanning & Sarah Jensen & Julie Poehlmann-Tynan, 2021. "Coparenting and Mental Health in Families with Jailed Parents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-14, August.
    6. Clark, Miriam & Watts, Stephen & McCuddy, Timothy & McLeod, Ellen, 2023. "Antecedents of legal cynicism unpacked: The impact of parental incarceration, race, and ACEs on its development," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    7. Bishopp, Stephen A. & Boots, Denise Paquette, 2014. "General strain theory, exposure to violence, and suicide ideation among police officers: A gendered approach," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 42(6), pages 538-548.
    8. Monika Dargis & Arielle Mitchell-Somoza, 2021. "Challenges Associated with Parenting While Incarcerated: A Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-16, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:10:p:6000-:d:815960. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.