A difficult disclosure : the dilemmas faced by families affected by parental imprisonment regarding what information to share

Being or having a parent in prison typically brings about negative consequences for both the imprisoned parent and their children, including a sense of loss, fear, shame, anger, insecurity and embarrassment (Almund and Myers 2003; Lockwood 2013). With restricted choices and parenting opportunities, imprisoned parents and their families have to negotiate the boundaries between the inside and outside world when faced with the decision of what and how much to tell their children about their situation (Almund and Myers 2003).