Date of Conferral

9-3-2026

Date of Award

September 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Human Services

Advisor

Sarah Matthey

Abstract

Parental incarceration is an adverse childhood experience that can influence children’s emotional, educational, relational, and developmental outcomes into adulthood. Although previous research had examined the effects of parental incarceration on children, limited research had explored how young adults perceive their life course development when a parent was incarcerated for a violent crime. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of young adults, age 18–25, regarding their life course development following parental incarceration for a violent crime. Elder’s life course development theory was the framework for this study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with three Black male participants from Alabama whose parents were incarcerated for a violent crime, and the data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. Five themes emerged: relationship, educational, and developmental disruption; a desire to break intergenerational cycles and restore family relationships; emotional distress related to stigma and loss of parental guidance; premature adult responsibilities; and rejection of violence as a social norm. The findings suggest that parental incarceration had lasting developmental effects while also fostering resilience and intentional life choices. The findings may inform trauma-informed family-centered practices, correctional family engagement, and policies that support healthier developmental outcomes and help reduce intergenerational cycles of incarceration.

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