Vicky Saunders

Research with children of prisoners: Methodological considerations for bringing youth in from the margins

To determine whether obesity concurrent with sarcopenia (low muscle mass) or dynapenia (low muscle strength) is associated with increased falls risk in middle‐aged and older adults.

Children of prisoners – children's decision making about contact

Children commonly experience considerable disruption to their care when a parent is incarcerated. Maintaining relationships between children and their incarcerated parents can present particular challenges, and for a growing number of children, continuing contact with their incarcerated parent is a key issue. Most of the research about childrens experiences of parental incarceration is filtered through adults who may or may not have spoken with children. This article draws on data collected for a research project which aimed to build an understanding of the needs and issues facing children and young people living in the Australian Capital Territory, who have experienced parental incarceration. This paper considers one key finding; children and young peoples perspectives on contact with their incarcerated parent. This was reflected in four thematic clusters: quality of relationships; participation in decision making; the challenges and benefits of contact and practical issues.

Research with Children of Prisoners

This chapter draws from the authors’ independent experiences of two research projects1 with Australian children whose parents had experienced incarceration.2 The chapter is grounded in a discussion of current thinking and prevailing methodological approaches to research with children. Current approaches to research with children of imprisoned parents are critiqued and examined in relation to current suggested practices.

Representing Children of Prisoners in the Public Domain: Comparing Children’s Views and Policy Documents

ABSTRACT Australian adult prisoner numbers continue to rise to what have been described as unprecedented and unsustainable levels. Research highlights that there are wide-ranging consequences of incarceration for families, and particularly for children. Despite the available research describing the negative impact of parental incarceration on children, it has been argued that these children remain virtually invisible to policy makers and social programs. Using a combination of policy analyses and findings from a research project undertaken in the Australian Capital Territory aimed at identifying the needs of children who have a parent in prison, we examine how this group of children is constructed and responded to by the systems that surround the children. It is argued that it is only when children are seen in a more holistic way that systems can respond more collaboratively to effectively support children. IMPLICATIONS Children of prisoners have needed to rely on adults to recognise the problem of parental incarceration and petition for them. It is time for those who inform and develop social policy to consider the impact of current policies on children. It is only when children are seen in a more holistic way that systems can respond more collaboratively to effectively support them.

Improving formal service responses for refugee families in Australia

Effective formal services, including both mainstream and specialist migrant and refugee services, are critical to supporting the resettlement of refugee families in Australia. In a study with refugee families and specialist service providers, most families reported that they used multiple services when they first arrived in Australia, largely dependent on facilitation by case managers and case workers from humanitarian settlement services, as well as other specialist services. Families’ use of formal services peaked on arrival and decreased over time.