ABSTRACT
The topic of youth crime and parental involvement is complex and politically charged. We highlight this complexity by outlining the different ways that the study of parents’ experiences of their children's crime and punishment can be undertaken. Here we draw on psychological research explaining the impact of children's behaviour on parents (‘child effects’), by addressing the relationship dynamics between parents and children during the transition of the latter through adolescence into early adulthood. We then situate several dimensions of harm which have been identified in past research (including the effects of stigma, impacts on health and wellbeing and on social networks, and the significance of resilience). This is followed by the final stages of the journey which children and their parents navigate during anticipation of release and the challenges which are likely to emerge from these circumstances.
