Publication details
Digitally Supported Trust in Social Work With Children of Incarcerated Parents
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Peer-reviewed scientific article |
| Magazine / Source | Child & Family Social Work |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.70259 |
| Keywords | parental incarceration; children of incarcerated parents; digital social work; relational trust; institutional trust; child participation |
| Attached files | |
| Description | Children of incarcerated parents are frequently overlooked despite the effects of parental incarceration on their well-being, relational security, social inclusion and participation. This article examines the conditions under which digital social work can support relational and institutional trust among these children. Trust is conceptualized as a child's expectation that significant adults, professionals and institutions can be relied upon in situations of uncertainty and vulnerability. Relational trust refers to children's experiences of significant adults as available, responsive and communicative, whereas institutional trust concerns expectations that services will handle information, communication and participation responsively. Drawing on the capability approach, attachment theory, and digital social work, the article presents a secondary thematic analysis of data from the Parenting Behind Bars study (2020?2023) and develops a framework of digitally supported trust. The findings suggest that digital support becomes trustworthy only when it is comprehensible, voluntary, relationally sensitive, ethically grounded and linked to clear professional responsibility. |
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