Review Article: Children as Invisible Victims of Criminal Justice

Abstract

Criminology has tended to focus more on crime than on the victims of crime. It has generally separated the issues of crime from its victims, which has led to limitations in the treatment of victims. Victimology focuses on individuals or social organizations that have been directly affected by criminals by paying attention to those whose rights were violated and the negative consequences of crimes, such as bodily injury, emotional trauma, property damage. However, what is being left out is the issue of the children of incarcerated parents who suffer collateral punishment. This article explores research findings and academic works in this area which are few in number as this is still a newly-emerging field of criminal justice. The picture being clearly shown here is how the imprisonment of a child’s father or mother causes internal impacts, such as emotional suffering, grief, tension and anxiety as well as external impacts expressed through anti-social behavior, aggressiveness or isolation from society. The article concludes with problem-solving guidelines related to the criminal justice system.