Delinquency among children of incarcerated parents: The role of pre-incarceration parental attachment

Objectives: While many studies have examined the impact of parental incarceration on children's delinquency, these have yielded mixed results. Currently, it remains unclear whether parental incarceration has positive, negative, or null effects on their children's future delinquency. The current study aims to clarify these mixed findings by examining the role of attachment in the relationship between parental incarceration and children's delinquency. Specifically, we examine whether this relationship is conditioned on attachment between the parent and child pre-incarceration. Methods: Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, this quasi-experimental study employed propensity score matching to compare children of incarcerated fathers with a matched comparison group whose parents were never incarcerated (n = 318). Results: The impact of paternal incarceration on children's involvement in property crimes, drug-related offenses, and violent behavior was found to differ significantly according to the level of pre-incarceration attachment. However, the specific effect of attachment within each group (paternal incarceration vs. no parental incarceration) could not be determined. Conclusions: Our findings complement longstanding theories and underscore the importance of considering pre-incarceration parent–child relationships when evaluating the impact of parental incarceration on delinquent behavior. These insights point to the need for tailored interventions that address specific family dynamics to better support children of incarcerated parents.