Competências parentais

: perceções de reclusas que vivem com filhos na prisão

Abstract

The presence of mothers in their children's lives is fundamental and decisive in their development, but in the context of the Prison Establishment, the exercise of parental skills can be challenging, complex and different. The present study sought to explore the perceptions that a group of inmate mothers, who live with their children in prison, have about their parenting skills. This is a qualitative study, where 8 in-depth interviews were conducted with inmate mothers staying with their child in the Prison Establishment. The results demonstrate positive and negative aspects of the circumstances in which these mothers find themselves. Positive parenting practices and constant support from the Prison are observable. However, the difficulties experienced by inmate mothers are portrayed, namely, recognition of feelings of guilt, feeling judged by other inmate mothers, relationship problems between children, precarious conditions of cells, difficulties in purchasing specific products for children and perceptions of short-term and long-term negative effects not only for children but also for mothers. However, they also show positive experiences to overcome the adverse situation they are experiencing.

Date of Award	12 Jul 2023
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Catarina Ribeiro (Supervisor) & Raquel Matos (Co-Supervisor)