Unspoken struggles: Listening to children of incarcerated parents

Press/Media: Article/Feature

Description

Monash Lens article

Period13 May 2025

Media coverage

1

Media coverage

  • TitleUnspoken struggles: Listening to children of incarcerated parents
    Degree of recognitionNational
    Media name/outletMonash Lens
    Media typeWeb
    Country/TerritoryAustralia
    Date13/05/25
    DescriptionFor many children, home is a place of comfort, a sanctuary filled with the nurturing presence of parents who provide love, stability, and guidance.

    But for the children with incarcerated parents, the concept of “home” is often fraught with confusion, abandonment, and a profound sense of loss. These children, of whom there are estimated to be more than 40,000 in Australia on any given day, face unique and often invisible challenges as they grow up without one or both of their parents.

    The emotional, psychological, and social consequences for these children can be overwhelming and long-lasting, yet their struggles often remain hidden from the public eye.

    They’re rarely consulted about their experiences or opinions, with just three published studies in the past decade that have directly heard from children of prisoners.

    A new study from Monash University, commissioned by SHINE for Kids, and with funding from Paul Ramsey Foundation, aimed to fill this gap by speaking directly to the children.
    Producer/AuthorScott Morton
    URLhttps://lens.monash.edu/@politics-society/2025/05/13/1387453/unspoken-struggles-listening-to-children-of-incarcerated-parents
    PersonsCatherine Flynn

Keywords

  • children of prisoners
  • child aware
  • Justice
  • Research