Incarcerated Black Men’s Restrictive Emotionality: The Influence of Parental Closeness and Childhood Abuse

Shemeka Thorpe, Candice N. Hargons, Jardin N. Dogan, Shawndaya Thrasher, Danelle Stevens-Watkins

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Black men are often socialized to limit their emotional expression, which can lead to negative relationships and emotional health outcomes. Yet, little is known about how childhood experiences influence their emotional restrictiveness in adulthood. This study examined the relationship between parental closeness, childhood abuse, and restricted emotionality among 183 Black incarcerated men nearing release. Findings conclude men who reported having a closer relationship with their parents had lower emotional restrictiveness than men who did not. Men who reported childhood sexual abuse by two people reported more restricted emotionality than their non-abused counterparts. Implications for programming, intervention, and prevention strategies are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)844-849
Number of pages6
JournalPsychology of Men and Masculinity
Volume22
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 American Psychological Association

Keywords

  • Black men
  • childhood abuse
  • incarceration
  • parental closeness
  • restricted emotionality

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Gender Studies
  • Social Psychology
  • Applied Psychology
  • Life-span and Life-course Studies

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