@article{10.11648/j.pbs.20221105.12,
  author = {Avon Hart Johnson and Geoffrey Johnson},
  title = {Caregivers Family Relations Assessment and Communication Strategies (C-FRACS): Bibliotherapy Storybooks for Children with Incarcerated Parents},
  journal = {Psychology and Behavioral Sciences},
  volume = {11},
  number = {5},
  pages = {157-168},
  doi = {10.11648/j.pbs.20221105.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20221105.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.pbs.20221105.12},
  abstract = {In the United States, parental incarceration is an adverse childhood experience that impacts between 2.7 and 10 million children at some point in their lives. Approximately 40% of confined parents have children under 10 years old. One in five affected children is under the age of five. These children are not always informed of the whereabouts of their incarcerated parents. Resultant ambiguity may leave young children confused and even internalizing their parent’s absence as their fault. The non-incarcerated caregiver may feel uncomfortable or ill-equipped to discuss incarceration with young children. Caregivers generally have important insights into children’s emotions and interpersonal behavior as a prerequisite and follow-up for these important discussions. Developmental researchers suggest that creative interventions such as the use of bibliotherapy, the power of tailored literary works (storybooks), can guide the caregiver-child dyad in discussion about sensitive topics in age-appropriate ways. The use of bibliotherapy-based literary works are germane for parental discussions on sensitive topics such as loss due to death, military deployments, and major transitions. It is plausible that empirically based bibliotherapy literature can help children to cope with issues of separation and loss– emotional distress, possible trauma, and the social stigma– related to parental incarceration. The empirical literature drawing from caregivers’ insights, practices, and theory is scant, however, leaving theoretical and literature gaps. The purpose of this qualitative community-based research using grounded theory data analysis was to understand caregivers’ communication practices regarding parental incarceration and to explore how, if at all, tailored storybooks could help with these discussions. Data collection entailed 8 focus group interviews conducted in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area with 22 caregivers of children ages ten and under, with a parent in jail or prison. Triangulation ensured the construction of a robust mid-level theory entitled, Caregivers Family Relations Assessment and Communications Strategies (C-FRACS). The findings explain how communication regarding parental incarceration occurs within the context of assessing a child’s holistic well-being (emotional, physical, social, and psychological). Caregivers’ epistemological knowledge and communication strategies were integrated into three child-friendly, age-appropriate storybooks authored by the researchers and vetted by caregivers and a child psychologist, to assist with parent-child discussions regarding parental incarceration. Implications and recommendations on caregiver attunement, paired with bibliotherapy-based interventions, are discussed.},
 year = {2022}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Caregivers Family Relations Assessment and Communication Strategies (C-FRACS): Bibliotherapy Storybooks for Children with Incarcerated Parents
AU  - Avon Hart Johnson
AU  - Geoffrey Johnson
Y1  - 2022/09/28
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20221105.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.pbs.20221105.12
T2  - Psychology and Behavioral Sciences
JF  - Psychology and Behavioral Sciences
JO  - Psychology and Behavioral Sciences
SP  - 157
EP  - 168
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-7845
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20221105.12
AB  - In the United States, parental incarceration is an adverse childhood experience that impacts between 2.7 and 10 million children at some point in their lives. Approximately 40% of confined parents have children under 10 years old. One in five affected children is under the age of five. These children are not always informed of the whereabouts of their incarcerated parents. Resultant ambiguity may leave young children confused and even internalizing their parent’s absence as their fault. The non-incarcerated caregiver may feel uncomfortable or ill-equipped to discuss incarceration with young children. Caregivers generally have important insights into children’s emotions and interpersonal behavior as a prerequisite and follow-up for these important discussions. Developmental researchers suggest that creative interventions such as the use of bibliotherapy, the power of tailored literary works (storybooks), can guide the caregiver-child dyad in discussion about sensitive topics in age-appropriate ways. The use of bibliotherapy-based literary works are germane for parental discussions on sensitive topics such as loss due to death, military deployments, and major transitions. It is plausible that empirically based bibliotherapy literature can help children to cope with issues of separation and loss– emotional distress, possible trauma, and the social stigma– related to parental incarceration. The empirical literature drawing from caregivers’ insights, practices, and theory is scant, however, leaving theoretical and literature gaps. The purpose of this qualitative community-based research using grounded theory data analysis was to understand caregivers’ communication practices regarding parental incarceration and to explore how, if at all, tailored storybooks could help with these discussions. Data collection entailed 8 focus group interviews conducted in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area with 22 caregivers of children ages ten and under, with a parent in jail or prison. Triangulation ensured the construction of a robust mid-level theory entitled, Caregivers Family Relations Assessment and Communications Strategies (C-FRACS). The findings explain how communication regarding parental incarceration occurs within the context of assessing a child’s holistic well-being (emotional, physical, social, and psychological). Caregivers’ epistemological knowledge and communication strategies were integrated into three child-friendly, age-appropriate storybooks authored by the researchers and vetted by caregivers and a child psychologist, to assist with parent-child discussions regarding parental incarceration. Implications and recommendations on caregiver attunement, paired with bibliotherapy-based interventions, are discussed.
VL  - 11
IS  - 5
ER  - 

Copy | Download