Methodological Concerns in the Study of Intergenerational Transmission of Criminal Behavior and Children of Incarcerated Parents

Abstract

This study seeks to focus on the methodological concerns found in intergenerational transmission of criminal behavior studies of children of incarcerated parents. In reviewing the literature it is evident that parental incarceration has a significant impact on children but unfortunately many of the studies suffer from methodological concerns that limit the generalizability of the findings and the ability to extend the origins of the antisocial behavior across generations. The concerns include 1) the lack of reliable data available 2) small sample sizes and lack of control groups 3) lack of variation in reporters of data 4) very little information about subjects before incarceration 5) the need for data related to high risk urban populations 6) the use of retrospective data, and 7) few studies the meet the criteria outlined by Thornberry.