Children's perceived social competence and parental incarceration: Comparing gender and national contexts

Previous research demonstrates that children who experience parental incarceration are at increased risk of negative psychological, educational, behavioral and social outcomes. However, the mechanisms driving this disadvantage remain poorly understood. The stigma attached to incarceration and related processes, like negative perceptions of children with incarcerated parents, offer one potential explanation. Both individuals who experience incarceration and their families are vulnerable to negative stereotyping, which evidence shows undermines social engagement and hinders positive outcomes. Stigma surrounding parental incarceration is often gendered, with both the child's and the incarcerated parent's gender influencing the nature of the stigma associated. Furthermore, national context is noted for its role in shaping how parental incarceration is perceived and experienced. However, perceptions of children with incarcerated parents have received only minimal scholarly attention within the US and very limited examination beyond the US. Research has rarely considered the influence of parent and child gender, and cross‐national comparisons remain unexplored. This study will investigate whether knowledge of parental incarceration influences societal appraisals of children's competence across social, behavioral, educational, and caregiver‐support domains, in two US and two non‐US based populations. Using Prolific data collection online platform, study one will compare nationally representative samples from the UK and US ( N = 1634) to explore societal‐level appraisals. Study two will compare a US‐based and Irish‐based university sample of pre‐service professionals ( N = 1634). All participants will be randomly assigned to read a vignette describing a child's behavior in school, where the child parent is absent due to a) incarceration or b) an unspecified reason. Participants will then evaluate the vignette child's competence using The Expectations and Attitudes about Children from Homes with Extra Risk questionnaire. Data will be statistically analyzed on SPSS using a factorial ANOVA, a moderating mediation, and a mediation analysis using multiple regression analysis within PROCESS. Findings will be discussed in relation to perceived competence for children with incarcerated parents compared to unspecified parental‐absence and considered based on gender and national context. Results will inform future research, national and gender‐specific training programs and support interventions.