Many kids have stable, caring adults in their lives that
provide them with the direction and confidence they need
to face the difficulties of life. Parents, grandparents,
teachers, coaches, youth pastors, and others all contribute
to a youth’s development.
Sadly, too many kids lack the influence of a positive role
model and consequently grow up trying to figure things out
on their own. For some, the role models they follow are
negative. For example, when a child has an incarcerated
parent, they are seven times more likely to go to prison
when they are adults. Approximately 2.3 million kids have
an incarcerated parent—more than 7 million have a
parent under some form of correctional supervision.*
Clearly, there is a great need to get involved.
In addition, more kids (32%)
are growing up in single-parent households today; illicit
drug use among youth remains a problem with 10%
of 8th graders, 20% of 10th
graders, and 24% of 12th graders
using drugs; and, 13% of our
nation’s youth do not graduate from high school or
obtain their GED. More notable is that 9%
of White kids do not graduate, while 14%
of Black kids and 34% of Hispanic
kids never complete high school.**
What happens to kids who have a parent in prison?
Source: Child
Welfare League of America
Source: Urban
Institute, Justice Policy Center
*Child Welfare League of America
** America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators
of Well-Being, 2004, Forum on Child and Family Statistics,
http://childstats.gov.
Lower Self Image
