Children on the Outside of the Fence - A Qualitative Study on Organizational Support and the Invisible Group of Children with Incarcerated Parents in Sweden

Sammanfattning

Background: Following an increase in repressive approaches to criminal justice policy as well as upcoming sentencing reforms in Sweden, the amount of children who have an incarcerated parent is growing. Known as an adverse childhood experience, parental incarceration is associated with a large variety of negative consequences for children experiencing it. To mitigate these consequences, civil society organizations in Sweden are accordingly providing these children with support.Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the role of Swedish civil society organizations in meeting the psychosocial support needs of children with an incarcerated parent, as well as to explore the challenges and opportunities connected to this work. Corresponding with the research aim, the study addressed three research questions: How do Swedish civil society organizations understand and address the support needs of children with an incarcerated parent? What organizational, structural, and social barriers do Swedish civil society organizations encounter when providing support for children with an incarcerated parent? How do Swedish civil society organizations perceive opportunities for overcoming barriers and strengthening support for children with an incarcerated parent?Method: Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine members of staff working at five different geographical locations within three civil society organizations who provide targeted support to children with an incarcerated parent in Sweden. The empirical material was analyzed using thematic analysis.Findings: The findings revealed that civil society organizations understand children’s support needs as both individual and holistic and organize their support accordingly, targeting multiple levels of children’s ecological systems. Similarly, organizations encounter barriers on multiple levels, the most evident one being financial constraints related to their own ecology. Furthermore, barriers to providing support were found to derive from social stigma, political discourse, institutional structures, and the invisibility of the issue itself. Correspondingly, findings revealed that to overcome barriers and strengthen support for children experiencing parental incarceration, there is a need to direct attention to a macrolevel of society. Findings suggest a necessity for reduced stigma, enhanced children’s rights and perspectives, and increased attention to and knowledge about the topic of parental incarceration.