The Effect of Parental Incarceration on Children’s Social Development in Abuja, North Central Nigeria

Parental incarceration is a complex social circumstance that creates cascading effects on children's emotional, cognitive, and social development. This study examines how parental incarceration affects the social development of children in Abuja, drawing on case data from communities in Gwagwalada and Kuje where incarcerated parent populations are significant. A descriptive survey approach is employed, targeting 85 children of incarcerated parents, their caregivers, and social workers from welfare agencies in the Federal Capital Territory. Structured questionnaires and observational methods are applied, with data analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings reveal that children of incarcerated parents frequently exhibit school absenteeism, social withdrawal, aggressive behaviour, and increased vulnerability to delinquency. Caregivers, often grandparents or extended family members, frequently lack the resources and knowledge to meet these children's psychosocial needs. Social workers play a limited referral and counselling role but rarely maintain sustained case management for this population. The study highlights the absence of a specialised policy framework for children affected by parental incarceration in Nigeria. Recommendations include developing targeted intervention programmes for this at-risk population, training social workers in trauma-informed care approaches, and facilitating regular supervised child-parent contact within correctional facilities to preserve relational bonds. Keywords: parental incarceration, children's development, social work, Federal Capital Territory, trauma-informed care