All research and evidence on NICCO is reviewed using a Quality Assessment Tool (QAT) developed by the University of Huddersfield and Barnardo's.
Research and evidence is assessed in four key areas: Methodological Quality, Child-Centredness, Relevance to Policy and Strategy, and Relevance to Practice with offender's children. This ensures that items on the NICCO website are as useful as possible to academics, practitioners, commissioners and other professionals. For more information about the development of the QAT or to review research in order to list it on NICCO, please see the QAT webpage where you can download the Tool, Guidebook and a short step-by-step 'How To' document. Please contact us to submit quality assessed research on to NICCO.
Click on the icons to see a full list of items which have been awarded a standard icon or icon+ (for items which have scored particularly highly) in each key area:
Results 13 - 18 of 37
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In light of the extensive research into parent-child relationships in the context of imprisonment of either and knowledge of the negative effects this can have on both, this peer-reviewed article reports on the under researched social and psychological effects of having a sibling in custody. This research in particular was conducted to enhance understanding of the needs and experiences of children who have a sibling inside. It is based on qualitative psychological analysis of the accounts of eight young people between the ages of 9 and 17 who had an older brother in custody. The key themes identified are the emotional response to a sibling being taken into custody, hesitance in disclosing information to teachers and peers, and perceptions of their own behaviour when taking their siblings imprisonment into account. Findings are considered along side policy implications and recommendations for those working with young people in the area of criminal justice.
Read about siblings' experiences of an older brother inside below:
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This research considers the perspectives of children and their parents/carers regarding the contents of a workbook to prepare children for their first visit to a prison to see a family member. It also contains a literature review which highlights the need for appropriate interventions and strategies to be put into place to support children of prisoners.
The aims of this small-scale research were to elicit the views of children of prisoners and their parents/carers to inform the design of the workbook and also to discuss the difficulties of conducting research with this population. Using semi-structured interviews with children of prisoners and their parents/carers, and applying thematic analysis to the collected responses, five key themes were identified regarding the content of the workbook. These themes were: Inclusion of rules/procedures/prison specific information. Use of drawings and pictures. Child friendly layout. Emotional aspects. Other. Findings from semi-structured interviews are discussed in terms of what the key features of the workbooks should be, the role an Educational Psychologist can have in eliciting children's views and also the key methodological challenges associated with research concerning children of prisoners.
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This peer-reviewed pan-European comparative research was conducted in light of reports which explore intergenerational offending and the adverse impacts on the estimated 800,000 children of offenders throughout the European Union.
This coupled with the evident lack of psychological research into, policy around or support for, this potentially vulnerable group of young people, inspired the COPING project. It is of particular interest to policy makers, campaigning organizations and interest groups in the UK and more widely in Europe. COPING brings together an international team of ten partner agencies to study the characteristics, vulnerabilities and resilience of children with a parent in prison in Germany, Sweden, Romania and the UK, as well as providing partners in France and Switzerland.
In each country group a research institution partnered with an NGO working with prisoners and their families. In the UK the University of Huddersfield partnered with POPS (Partners of Prisoners and Families Support Group). The countries reflect a spectrum of socio-cultural issues, differing incarceration levels, policies, interventions and welfare provision that impact on children of prisoners. Using positive, psychological methodology where children are an authoritative source of knowledge, COPING aims to understand how the imprisonment of a parent really affects children, resiliency processes and the potential improvement the wellbeing of a child following appropriate support. This provides a theoretical framework to assess the value of these concepts for planning methods and techniques for successful interventions which minimise adverse mental health impacts on the child. The evidence base can be used for development of policy and interventions where little existed previously. Further, it can be used to identify gaps in the data sets in relation to Children of Prisoners in Europe that currently inhibit the development of policy to mitigate mental health risks. Following the findings, twelve detailed recommendations are made which concern a number of identified unmet needs, practices that need to change, a perception that needs to be addressed or an area of current policy that needs to be remedied. Conclusions note that COPING provides a more comprehensive, detailed and clearer picture of the effects of parental imprisonment on children's mental health, their resilience and the impact upon their families. It compellingly demonstrates that, as a group, children with imprisoned parents are at a significantly greater risk of suffering mental health difficulties than children who do not have parents in prison. COPING has spawned a small pilot study involving partners from Romania, Trinidad, Uganda and the UK into the role of grandparents in caring for children of prisoners which is hoped to be scaled up.
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It is widely acknowledged that schools can play a key role in supporting the children of prisoners.
This peer reviewed paper reports on research which explores the support provision offered in schools to children who experience parental imprisonment. Interviews with school representatives, stakeholders, parents and children, illustrate the support available, issues that arise and ways in which support provision can be strengthened. Findings indicate that children of prisoners often constitute a 'forgotten' group in schools. Recommendations are around raising awareness of these children and the challenges they face amongst education practitioners and policy-makers.
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This peer reviewed article notes that while statutory services support for children of prisoners is key, it is likely to be minimal and that decisions around provision are made according to local circumstance e.g. budgets, need, local politics etc.
The researchers used a typology of different cultures which ground local authority service provision for children of prisoners and identify the gaps and problems within attempts to align different services into a clear provision pattern in one local authority. There is an exploration of how a change in strategic culture can lead to improvements in service provision. Read about Strategic Planning for support services on Wiley online if you have access.
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This peer-reviewed article looks at the influence of adults' interpretations and the way issues of parental imprisonment are talked about in families on children's methods of coping with parental imprisonment. It explores how families' approaches to the issue may be based on openness and honesty or may emphasise privacy and secrecy, or a combination of these. The article argues that children are likely to be influenced by their parents'/carers' views, and that these may cause conflict for them. The article concludes that where parents/carers retain a positive view of the imprisoned parent, children are likely to benefit; where parents/carers feel issues of shame and stigma acutely, this is likely to be transmitted to their children. It is highlighted that this message is important for practitioners involved in supporting prisoners' families and also for parenting programmes.
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