In a series of articles last fall, told the DN that the children of detained parents are a vulnerable and neglected group that is invisible in the statistics.
You don’t even know how many of these children are. The only thing that is to lean on the old estimates from the prison service who say that there are about 8,000 children and young people who have at least one parent in prison. If you count out the method during probation, it is about the over 30,000 children.
These children are in great need of information and support, but are often left without both. It is not even certain that they must know where the custodial parent has gone. Some parents believe that it is best that the child does not know.
For kids, it can be very heartbreaking to visit a parent who is siter in jail. Photo: Janerik Henriksson/TT
It is not certain that the child’s interaction with his enthralled parent works. May want to parent does not meet, perhaps do not want to guardian it, perhaps do not want the baby to meet.
the DN’s series of articles published received Welfare from the government to identify the situation for children with frihetsföräldrar. Now, the report is finished. It confirms much of what the persons interviewed in the series said.
– It is a very complex issue and we see that the support to the children with the custodial parents is not enough. It is not enough to to meet these children’s needs, ” says the investigator Åsa Borén.
” It’s not easypeasy to answer. It is from the parents according to the parental code, through the social services, to civil society, with non-profit organisations. Also school, health care and prison and Probation service has an important role to ensure the children’s needs, ” says Åsa Borén.
the fragmentation of responsibility is perhaps also the explanation that these children so often fall between the cracks. Åsa Borén says that social services have a far-reaching responsibility for children and young people’s safety and well-being, according to the socialtjänslagen. But the municipalities need to increase their knowledge in the field.
Skänningeanstalten have worked akrivt to get the children of inmates to feel welcome. Photo: Peter Holgersson AB
the National mapping has been done with the help of questionnaires to the Swedish association of local authorities, idella organizations and barnrättsorgansationer. According to the report, missing eight of the ten municipalities specific intervention for children with custodial parents. Almost all the municipalities, 94 per cent, no prevention or outreach activities for these children.
“these children are an invisible group that is not visible in the statistics, which can lead to that the target group is not a priority of the authorities, and that no resources are allocated,” says Åsa Borén.
the prison service has no formal responsibility for the children of imprisoned persons. But they have, nevertheless, in many parts working to improve the reception of detainees ‘ children in the prisons. Among other things, there is a barnombud in all penitentiary institutions and frivårdskontor, in some places, there is välkomstrum with toys, and specially decorated besökslägenheter or visiting rooms.
There are several risk factors linked to these children. The children can live in an environment linked to crime, substance abuse or mental illness of the parents.
– It means that they have fewer opportunities to do well in life. When the parent is arrested, it can lead to additional anxiety, fear and problems in the school. Often the problems generally in life. As a group, they are still stigmatized. There is much shame and taboo around the issue of having a parent in custody. We need to talk more about it.
several priority areas to improve the situation of children of detained parents. For example, to increase the knowledge of the children, to find the children themselves do not come in contact with the social services and to ensure that the prerequisite to get support is equally good throughout the country.
the most Important is perhaps to ensure that all children get all the information they need. It can be about what has happened to the parent, where they can get the support of knowledgeable adults and get a glimpse of how the parent has it at the jail.
Books and toys will make children feel a little more avlsappnade when they visit their parents in prison. Photo: Peter Holgersson AB –
– It is also a challenge to ensure that the child’s visitation with their custodial parent will be good and safe and that it is based on the child’s own good. In among is the child a victim as well, ” says Åsa Borén.
According to the report, is the high degree of non-profit organizations for the support that these children receive. Åsa Borén says that the municipalities must strengthen their cooperation with the iddella organizations, where a huge knowledge is available on the area.
(the Children and youth with a parent/family member in prison) are a non-profit for children with frihetsföräldrar. Where are you very happy the national Board of survey.
– the Report is highly anticipated. We have long courted the government to do something about the situation for these children. This is a first step, ” says Madelein Kattel, director of the Bufff.
besökslägenheten for families on Skänningeanstalten is the art of the inmates on the walls. Those who live there easily communicate with the staff outside the press of a button. Photo: Peter Holgersson AB
She says the report confirms the picture which Bufff, that social services lacks the expertise and knowledge of these children as a highly vulnerable group and that there is no support for them in many parts of the country.
– We would like to see more national guidelines and a long-term funding in order to remove the inequalities of the search, ” says Madelein Kattel.
many small municipalities lack the opportunities to have the skills and experience to take care of these children in a good way.
” We Bufff working evidence-based and have a long experience of meeting children and young people. We are sitting on a vast knowledge which we are happy to provide both the state and the municipality. Therefore, a national support is so important, ” says Madelein Kattel.
She thinks that the knowledge of this group of children leaves much to be desired. For example, there are no reliable statistics on how many children who have custodial parents. The figure mentioned in the report, about 30,000 children are Kriminsalvårdens calculations that have many years on the back of the neck.
” According to our estimates, where we start from lagföringsstaistik for 2017, it is about mins 160.000 children a year who have a parent who is convicted of a crime. In many cases, lead to the judgment that the parent is arrested. In addition there are the children who have other related persons in jail, prison, or probation.
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