There are an estimated 200,000 children in England and Wales with a parent in prison - treble the number of children in care and five times the number of children on the child protection register. But despite the size of this group, and evidence these children are more likely to struggle at school and get involved in crime themselves, they are often ignored by support services and the criminal justice system.
The Coping Project is a three-year, EU-funded project led by the University of Huddersfield looking at children of prisoners across the UK, Sweden, Romania and Germany. Its latest response paints a particularly bleak picture of their vulnerability and lack of support in the UK. It found that UK children of prisoners are far more likely than their peers to experience a mental health problem or be involved in anti-social behaviour (see statistics box).
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
