Silent voices: listening to children of criminalised individuals

This article considers the features of support that children of criminalised individuals (CoCI) value and how they perceive this impact on their everyday lives. Despite the recognition of children’s voice as a basic human right and an integral feature of child-focused research, CoCI remain silenced and marginalised in England and Wales. A body of research discusses the impact of parental imprisonment on children, most notably from an adult perspective, yet scant research has explored CoCI perspectives, particularly those focused on support. This article provides a unique contribution to the academic field by exploring the impact of targeted support from the perspectives of CoCI. The research findings presented in this article argue for the prioritisation of strengths-based, responsive support for CoCI, which can create safe spaces for them to process their emotions, develop self-reliance, feel listened to, and engage in supportive activities that are fun. The implications of this research for relationship building and family wellbeing are also discussed.