The Effects of Parent Education on Parental Locus of Control and Satisfaction of Incarcerated Fathers

Abstract

Incarcerated fathers have largely been ignored in parent education efforts. Yet, rehabilitation efforts aimed at improving family relationships have implications for the reduction of recidivism. This experimental study to assess positive benefits of parent education was conducted with 42 fathers incarcerated in a minimum security federal correctional institution. After pretesting of experimental and control group participants, 21 men completed an eightsession parenting class. All participants were posttested. It was shown through pairedt tests that the control group did not advance from pretest to posttest. The experimental group scored significantly higher at posttesting on a content/knowledge test and on certain subscales of the Parental Locus of Control Scale and the Cleminshaw-Guidubaldi Parent Satisfaction Scale. Research efforts in the future should include giving follow-up posttests, assessing behavioral change and recidivism, and examining the effects of parent education on children of inmates.