SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND EDUCATIONAL ADJUSMENT OF A 13 YEAR OLD TEENAGER WITH A

CRIME OFFENDER FATHER: A CASE STUDY

A Paper
Presented to
MAGDALENA A. PORRAS, RGC, MA
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Father Saturnino Urios University
Butuan City

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements of the Course
GUID 505A (Counseling Theories and Techniques 1)
SY 2018 – 2019

by

BERYL P. ABUCEJO, LPT, RPm

July 2018
I. Introduction

Parental imprisonment affects millions, probably tens of millions, of children around the world,
who often come from the most disadvantaged and vulnerable sections of society (Robertson, 2007).
Imprisonment has a more immediate and wide reaching impact on affected families. Hagan (1998) as
cited in King (2002) stated that the incarceration / imprisonment of parents can seriously diminish the
economic and social capital on which families and communities depend to successfully raise children.
The disintegration of the family that often results from imprisonment means that children can
experience prolonged and intensified periods of instability and uncertainty. He suggests that parental
imprisonment may have the following negative effects: the strains of economic deprivation; the loss of
parental socialization through role modelling, support and supervision; and the stigma and shame of
being labelled by society. Children can be affected in different ways, depending on the role that was
played by the parent who is imprisoned.
Children of imprisoned parents are often described as the forgotten victims of imprisonment.
When a mother or father goes to prison, their children are affected, usually adversely. Yet these effects
are rarely considered in criminal justice processes, which instead focus on determining individual guilt or
innocence and punishing lawbreakers. The failure to consider or consult children of imprisoned parents
at all stages of the criminal justice process – from arrest to trial to imprisonment to release to
rehabilitation into the community – can result in their rights, needs and best interests being overlooked
or actively damaged (Robertson, 2007). When a parent goes to prison or jail, their children suffer. The
loss of a parent to incarceration can precipitate trauma and disruption that few experience with or
without serious consequences. This loss often compounds or exacerbates existing environmental stress
such as poverty, poor schools and violent neighborhoods (Children of Prisoners Library, n.d.).
Moreover, the study of Robertson (2007) revealed that many children experience ostracism,
disapproval and scorn because of their association with an imprisoned parent. Unlike “other contexts of
loss such as death or illness, loss of a family member because of incarceration / imprisonment seldom
elicits sympathy and support from others and the stigma and feelings of isolation associated with being
the family of a prisoner, of being contaminated in some way by the deeds of the offender, is central to
many of the difficulties that children and families face. This may also be compounded by community
perceptions that prisoner parents are intrinsically bad parents.
Furthermore, it has been noted that some children can become defiant or aggressive and can
display antisocial behavior as a result of having a parent imprisoned (Springer et. al, 1999; as cited in
King, 2002). According to one of the first studies carried out on the children of prisoners (Sack et al,
19769), typical reactions that can characterize their responses to parental imprisonment include more
aggressive and disruptive behavior, reduced levels of obedience and a decrease in school performance.
The trauma to which children may be subjected as a result of parental imprisonment can be further
increased by the uncertainty and disruption that often affect them as families attempt to adjust to the
loss of a caregiver and/or primary income provider. Children can also be placed under additional stress
as a result of attempting to keep the fact that their parent is in prison a secret (Standing Committee on
Social Issues, 1997).Among the broad range of emotions and behavioral responses that children
experience when their parents go to prison are the following: fear and anxiety, separation anxiety,
nightmares, fear of strangers, and uncertainty about the justice system. In addition, King (2002) further
stated that if the imprisoned parent has made a positive contribution to the life of the family in the past,
his or her incarceration can deprive the family of an important resource for the socialization of the child.
The present case study is conducted in order to determine the social, emotional, and educational
adjustment of a 13 year old teenager whose father was convicted of pushing illegal drugs. It aims to
develop possible intervention programs which may aid the larger populations of the same set of sample.
a. Statement of the Problem

The case study attempts to determine the behavioral dynamics and personality traits of the
respondent. It determines the levels of social, emotional, and educational adjustment of the teenager
with a crime offender father. Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions:

1. What are the social adjustments of a teenager with a crime offender father?
2. What are the emotional adjustments of a teenager with a crime offender father?
3. What are the educational adjustments of a teenager with a crime offender father?
4. What is the level of each component of adjustments of the respondent?
a. social
b. emotional
c. educational
5. What are the possible intervention program that can help a teenager with a crime offender
father?
b. Significance or Importance of the Study

The result of this investigation may add to the body of knowledge concerning the psychological
factors associated with the levels of adjustment of children with crime offender parents. It may give the
readers insights on the constructs highly related to delinquency among adolescents. These constructs
could be important predictors of criminality which need psychological intervention to address the
problems. Specifically, this study may be beneficial to the following:
Family unit. Various studies have supported that adult criminal behaviors are associated with family
size, quality of parental supervision, child rearing practices, parental alcoholism, employment history,
family SES, parental conflict and family criminality (“Theories of Crime”, n.d.). Through this study, it may
give ideas to the families on how they should rear and conduct themselves to their children because
unsupervised and overlooked manifestations of behavioral problems in children may aggravate to
criminal acts when they grow up. This may give them insights about the possible effects and influence of
dysfunctional upbringing and family atmosphere to their children’s personality, resilience and
susceptibility to behavioral maladjustments. The insights from this study may help the family unit to
modify and improve the family atmosphere at home.
Educational Institution. Studies have revealed that low intelligence and poor educational attainment are
correlated with crime (“Theories of Crime”, n.d.). The school contributes much on the cognitive as well
as the personality development of an individual. Failure at school may not be necessarily due to low
intellectual capacity but also of undiagnosed learning difficulties which many schools in the country fail
to attend. For instance, a failing child mostly with low self-esteem will eventually join an anti-social
subculture of delinquents and truants to seek approval that is lacking from school. Thus, the present
study may provide insights about the significant role of the school environment that could contribute to
juvenile crime mostly committed by depressed and economically deprived students. In addition, the
school maybe better advised on how they should structure programs and learning experiences that
would provide sufficient methods as well as techniques for correcting and modifying identified
behavioral misconduct of the students. Through these efforts, anti-social behaviors and crimes among
children and adolescents maybe prevented and adequately managed.
Teachers. This study may encourage teachers to provide better understanding and moral support to
students with crime offender parents. The result of this study may help them gain deeper awareness on
the situation of students whose parents are imprisoned and the impact it may have on their social,
emotional, and educational aspects. Through this, teachers may come to know why a student with crime
offender parent behaves in a peculiar way at school. Results may help teachers realize the importance of
building positive classroom environment. Through responding to the emotional distress of the students,
many at-risk students may be saved from poor academic functioning. By understanding the impact of
family tumult to educational success, teachers may be encouraged to develop teaching strategies that
fosters learning opportunities for students with various family backgrounds.
Crime Offender Children. The study may give them insights about their personality traits, thinking
patterns and tendencies that could have led them to commit acts which may cause them to suffer later
in life. Through this, they may be able to evaluate and understand themselves. They may be able to
learn how well to manage themselves and to modify their maladaptive behaviors and irrational beliefs in
order to help them to seek positive changes and growth in their lives. Moreover, they may also gain
insights and knowledge on how to deal, adjust and relate with the people around them so that a mutual
atmosphere is established.
Test Construction and Counseling. This study may also give insight on the relevance of standardized
testing materials to measure tendencies of criminality. Tests measuring aggression tendencies and
personality traits that would predict criminality are helpful in school, work settings and in the
community as a whole to identify individuals who are highly susceptible to commit damages so that
preventive measures are immediately developed and applied. In similar vein, in the field of counseling,
especially in the educational system, the study may also shed light on improving the efficacy of
techniques used to deal with students with dysfunctional thinking patterns and thereby reducing
recidivism. It may encourage counselors who have responsibilities for student’s well-being to supervise
and promote the care, learning and development of students in partnership with their families. In this
manner, families may be given psychosocial assistance by practitioners in the field on how to provide an
emotional environment that supports, affirms, and values children which could help the latter manage
their own feelings and their performance in school.
Government. The economic stability of the country is a significant predictor of crime. The
socioeconomic status of people can greatly affect the psychological and social well-being and it is a fact
that some people commit crime for livelihood purposes. The present investigation may give insight to
the government that they can help greatly in the reduction of crime rates not only through direct means
but also indirect approaches such as providing adequate support to the sectors designed to improve the
mental health of the people like the educational system, rehabilitation and health care centers,
employment opportunities and the like. In this manner, the number of children who suffer from the
absence of parents due to imprisonment will be reduced.
Community. Crime offender children are often stigmatized and given lesser kindness in the society
compared to children of non-crime offender. This study may give information that these children are
products of unfortunate circumstances and that they need to be understood and treated equally in the
society so that they can make positive changes in themselves. Crime reduction and prevention will not
be effective if community constituents remain irresponsive. That is why the readers of this study may be
encouraged to take part in the activities and programs designed for the purpose of promoting good
mental health thereby reducing or if not eliminating the cases of antisocial behaviors in the society.
Future researchers. This study may be essential to the researchers to enlighten and furnish knowledge
on the psychological factors that affects the level of adjustments of crime offender children. Results of
this study hopefully may contribute to educational literature and may guide those who intend to do
similar studies.
c. Definition of Terms

For the readers to have a better understanding and broader perspective about the case study,
the following terminologies are operationally and conceptually defined:

 Adjustment. It is the process by which a living organism maintains a balance between the needs
and the circumstances (Sekar, 2016). In this study, it refers to the process by which the
individual attempts to deal with stressors in the educational, emotional, and social aspect.
 Crime. It is defined as an acts or omissions forbidden by law that can be punished by
imprisonment and/or fine (Meriam Dictionary). In this study, it refers to the violations
committed by the father of the respondent which led the former to imprisonment.
 Educational Adjustment. It refers to an individual’s adaptation in educational demands, both
academic and non – academic activities, as reflected in the individual’s performance rating,
awards, and recognition (Master Arul, 2016). In this study, it refers to the difficulties that the
client of imprisoned father encounter in her educational journey as a result of her father’s
imprisonment.
 Emotional Adjustment. It refers to an individual’s adaptation in emotional relationships within
and with other people, both inside and outside of self, as reflected in the individual’s attitudes
and behavior (Sekar, 2016). In this case study, it refers to the emotional difficulties of the client
before, during, and after the imprisonment of her father. This may range from fear, sadness,
anger, shame and the like.
 Social Adjustment. It refers to an individual’s adaptation in social relationships with other
people, both inside and outside of school, as reflected in the individual’s attitudes and behavior
(Sekar, 2016). In this study, it refers to the difficulties in social situations or occurrences which
the client of crime offender father had to deal.
  Separation. It is a term which refers to an arrangement by which a husband and wife live apart
by agreement or by court decree (Collins Dictionary, 2016). In this study, it refers to the
arrangement of the client’s parents which includes leading their separate lives because of
marital issues.
d. Limitation of the Study
The case study focuses mainly on the social, emotional, and educational adjustments of the client
under study. It will also try to present a possible intervention program which may aid the client in
dealing with her current ordeal.
The present research will not attempt to have an in-depth analysis of the respondents’ perceptions,
values, attitudes, physiological, spiritual aspects and the like. The criteria for the selection of the
respondents will not consider whether her crime offender father was wrongly accused and were
sentenced unfairly by the justice system of the Philippines.
Lastly, results of this study will be considered applicable only to similar population of respondent
used in the case study.

II. Counselee’s Personal History in Background Data

This section presents the client’s background data under the subheadings: (a) Counselee’s Total
Environment; (b) Physical Characteristics; (c) School Data; (d) Family, Spiritual, Cultural and Social Data;
and (e) Biographical Data.

a. Counselee’s Total Environment

Ms. Kate is currently living with her grandparents (her father’s biological parents). She used to visit
the family and relatives of her mother including her mother’s parents. What she doesn’t like about her
two family (mother and father’s family) is the clash between the values and orientation they have. She
always felt like “itsapwera” on both families especially after the incident of her father’s imprisonment
and it makes her felt so worthless and always not good enough. The two sides of her family are not in a
good relation and she oftentimes hear her granny on her father side say “liwat jud ka sa side sa imong
Mama” and she hear the different version whenever she is with her lola on her mother’s side which says
“Maayo jud nimong pagkaliwat sa side sa imong Papa”. These two opposing statement became the
usual talk of her family members and it truly makes her feel sick of her situation.
She was labeled as “papansin” especially when she was showing her weakness about her father’s
situation. There were times where she bought a wine at a local store in their place and she drank all of it
‘till the bottle was empty. She then started breaking all the glasses she could grab and was shouting like
crazy. She barely remember how she went home and all she knew was she woke up in her bedroom the
next day with headaches and hang over. She was in a total mess that she felt so embarrassed to her
aunts and uncles who tried to pacify her. However, some of the neighbors and cousins around called her
hurtful things such as “papansin” stating that all she wanted was to draw attention from their parents.
She further stated that she understand why her cousins don’t like her and that it was all because she
was her grandparents’ apple of the eye.
The client is emotionally disturbed due to her current situation. A person whom she lean on and the
man she love the most – her father – was convicted last January 2018 because of illegal drug pushing.
She was in deeply shocked of the incident seeing her father’s arrest and witnessing the sentence. She
wanted to shout in despair that her father was a good man and a good provider. But she knew that
nobody will listen because of all the evidences that are against her father’s liberty.
Moreover, when the process preceded the caught of authority of her father was explained to her,
she was crying and was in disbelief. She displayed signs of depression like unable to eat and loses
interest on things that usually made her happy. She admitted that she really had a hard time regulating
her emotions because her mind refuse to internalize the aftermath of the incident. How can she faced
the friends at school? How can she avoid embarrassed? And How can she get back to her normal self?
At present, the client is not emotionally okay as the incident was still fresh in her heart and memory.
It is important to note however, that the client never saw her father’s criminal activity and it posed
question on her part. How come she didn’t even notice? A part of her was praying that her father will
come out soon so they will be together again.
b. Physical Characteristics
The client can be considered as a combination of beauty and brain. She displayed class A beauty
because of her posture that can be qualified for a beauty queen contest. She has a white complexion,
tall, skinny, and long straight hair. Her posture doesn’t look like a 13 years old teenager because her
height seems like that of a 16 years old. As a matter of fact, she was a consistent muse in her class and
was able to participate in a numerous pageant contest in school.
Moreover, the client appears to be very meticulous when it comes to her looks. She always wear
good pair of clean jeans, shoes, and t- shirt. She doesn’t wear make – up though but her eyebrows are
neatly shaped and her nails are beautifully polished. Her hair is beautifully colored which enhances her
beautiful face. She is wearing braces on the upper and lower teeth to correct and straighten the
arrangement of her teeth. She have small scars on her wrists because she used to draw a blood using a
blade on a thin layer of her skin from wrist to arm whenever she is frustrated and angry.
 c. School Data
The client was a consistent honor student since grade school. She was their school representative in
a countless contests. She was able to reach a national competition in writing and journalism and were
able to take home numerous prizes and awards. She participated in different activities and school
organizations such as drum and lyre corps where she was able to enhance her skills in playing the lyre
and drum instrument. She said she wanted her parents to be proud of her and was silently wishing that
her existence would be enough reason for them to go back together. She dream to be a lawyer in the
future. The client appears to be intellectually competent and she don’t speak in vernacular during the
counseling session. Her reality is intact and she show no sign of cognitive dysfunctions. She
demonstrates good English speaking skills and good eye contact. Her school performance was slightly
affected but she manage to be included in the crème of the crop during their school’s closing and
recognition program.
In addition, the client stated that despite of her tumultuous life, never did it come to her mind that
she will stop attending to school. She was ashamed of what happened to her father but still this doesn’t
alter her life plans and she would do her very best to finish college and land on a job she dreamed to
have.
d. Family, Spiritual, Cultural and Social Data

The client is born in a middle class family. She is the only child of her parents and is currently living
with her grandparents (father’s parents) in Cabadbaran City. Her parents separated since she had her
first memory. Her father was originally a seaman who worked in a cruise ship while her mother was a
nurse who opted to work in Canada in order to give her a brighter future. The work set – up of her
parents led them to separate for good as time passed by. According to her, she hated her mother for
leaving her when she was a child and for choosing her career over her. On the case of her father, he
considered him as a good man who spoiled her with whatever she wants. Her father engage in farming
and rice milling in RTR as well as retail business in Cabadbaran few years ago. This was the time when
her father decided to stay with her so he will be able to fix their family. However, her mother opposed
to the plan of her father and refused to stay in the Philippines for good because her career is already
established in Canada. The communication of her parents continued because of her, however, it can be
considered as on and off, but their marriage was not annulled because both parties agreed to spare her
from the process. As a matter of fact, it was what she always asked from her parents because deep
inside her, she was wishing that her parents will restore their family for her sake.
 However, her mother is currently in a relationship with a man she don’t like and this makes her ill
feelings towards her mother worse than ever. According to Ms. Kate, before, whenever her mother
introduce her love interest to her, it was in a superficial friendship drama or coworker because her
mother knew for sure that she won’t like it. But the fourth man was totally different because it seems so
serious that she even wanted to flip the table while they were eating and to run while crying . “I cannot
explain what type of emotions I had during that time. I just felt so bad towards the type of mother I
have”, she stated.
She was raised by her grandparents (father side) and was showered by all the love they could gave.
The reality of being teased by her cousins growing up was inevitable making her felt less love and less
priority of her biological parents, she was her grandparents’ favorite grandchild though. Her
grandparents’ guidance and love were the foundation of who she is nowadays. However, things change
when her grandfather died few years ago. The incident resulted for a behavioral change of her granny
who nowadays became more strict, braver, and loud. It may be cliché as it seems but a part of her was
happy because the death of her grandfather prompted her father to stay with her together with her
granny for good at Cabadbaran City. She was her father’s baby girl and everytime she win in any
competition her father was always with her to celebrate her success. It was a mystery for her that she
can’t even believe that a man she cherished so much because of its qualities (loving, caring, good man,
etc.) was involved in illegal drugs. It was a very hurtful reality to the client that she don’t even want to
talk about with just anybody.
On the social aspect, the client has a lot of friends in school prior to the imprisonment of her father.
She said she was quite popular in school because of her recognitions and awards received in different
competition. She is also a member of the drum and lyre corps as well as dance troupe. A lot of guys have
been trying to court her in the past but no one succeeded because all she wanted to do is to flirt with
them without any emotional attachment involved. However, nowadays, she felt like she is being bullied
by those who know her, telling her that she is a daughter of a drug pusher. Her circle of friends drop
down to its smallest number making her distress every time she heard issues on drug cases as well as
assaults because of drug influence. It always make her feel so embarrassed knowing that her father was
convicted because of doing illegal acts.
She admitted that as young as 13 years old, she experienced having sexual relations with her
classmate, a – spur – of – the – moment decision she never regretted. She said she was so sad during
that time because her mother finally introduce to her the fourth man who served as a hindrance to her
parent’s marital relation. This was done, however, using protective methods to avoid possible
pregnancy. She said, some of her friends did it as young as 12 and some even experienced having a
boyfriend during grade 5 of their elementary years. She like the guy because of his handsome face but
not to the extent that she have any plan of having serious commitment for she know for a fact that a lot
of girls have been trying to impress and flirting with him.
Furthermore, in one of our counseling session, the client stated that she felt like nobody truly
loves her. Some of her considered friends told her that their parent’s wanted them to stop making
friends with her because she is a bad influence to them. She came to a point where she no longer hang
out with the peers she usually had, and she felt so lonely because of the drastic change in her lifestyle.
She used to be carefree, loud, and wild but things turn out differently nowadays. She now opted to stay
at home reading crime detectives stories, watching discovery channel, and reading psychological stories
in the hope to better understand her current ordeals.
On the spiritual aspect, the client’s grandparents (father side) where she is currently residing, is
catholic in faith. They seldom go to church and most of the time, she was never invited because she
often made excuses such as she have school works to do. Truth is, she doesn’t really like to go to church
because since childhood, she keep on praying to God that her family would be intact and that they will
live together in one home, separate from the presence of relatives and other outside of immediate
family circle. This prayer was never granted, however. Ms. Kate said that she doesn’t despise God inspite
of His unfavorable response to her prayers. She understand that God exist in order to balance
everything and that God has reasons and purposes for everything. The client further stated that she may
fail to go to church more often but this doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have faith at all. “I believe in God,
I really do” she said, but it’s just that she can’t understand God why He like to see her crying and begging
Him to heal the pain of her parents.
She is more than willing to move on with her life but all she needed at this moment is time and
understanding from the people around her. Contrary to other people who keeps on going to church
when prompted by problems and difficulties, the client preferred to stay at home and say her prayers
before and after bedtime. “I don’t want to show to people especially to my family that I pray. It just felt
so awkward because they view me as evil, undisciplined, and brat child”. The client’s spiritual life is
challenge because of the self – imposed belief that she set for herself brought about by the weak
foundation of her spiritual aspect as she grew up with just her nanny and supervising grandparents.
e. Biographical Data
The client’s complete name is Kate Abugsa Abdenido. She was born on March 23, 2005 to Marlon
Abdenido and Mirasol Abugsa at Butuan Doctors Hospital, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Philippines.
She is the only child in the family. She is presently residing at Phase 2, Block 7, Princess Homes,
Cabadbaran City. She is 13 years of age, and is enrolled at Candelaria Institute of Cabadbaran as a Grade
8 student.
III. Procedure
This section present the counseling procedure involve as well as approaches or techniques which
may help the client deal with her difficulties. It emphasize creating good relationship with the client that
will empower her to obtain mental health and fulfill the goals of counseling session.
The client was referred to me by my co – teacher Mrs. Julieta Abugsa. She is the client’s aunt and
was very much concerned with the deteriorating behavioral traits of her niece. Her aunt bring her to
school where I am currently teaching in the hope that her niece’s current psychological difficulties will
lighten. Prior to the session, Mrs. Abugsa had opened up to me about the case of her niece telling me
that her niece needs psychological help. The helping relationship started last July 6, 2018. She continued
seeing me every Friday whenever her schedule permits. She usually texted her Tita (Ma’am Abugsa)
asking whether or not I am available to conduct counseling sessions.
The client – centered therapy / counseling approach was used in helping the client return to her
normal level of functioning and to maintain mental health and wellness. It is an approach that operates
on the assumption that every human being has the ability to fulfill their full potential. It is a therapeutic
relationship that involves self – actualization, empathy, and unconditional positive regard. It emphasizes
that human being is logical, rational, forward moving, and realistic beings, thus, are capable of
understanding, regulating, and controlling their own behavior. In utilizing this techniques the counselor
– counselee relationship is very important because the positive interactions are a form of therapy
themselves. The relationship thus, must be supportive and the counselor are expected to put the client
at the center of every therapy session, as the client is the expert of her own life. The counselor used this
techniques because the client is an intellectual person but slightly maladjusted due to the imprisonment
of her father. She is constantly bombarded by all the shame and embarrassment as she cannot separate
herself from her very own father. The goal of our counseling session is to help Ms. Kate realized what
she wanted to happen for herself. The counselor (yours truly) believes that she is capable of moving
forward and of doing the things that will make her into a better person.
Moreover, the counseling relations started last June 15, 2018 through a referral. It must be
important to note however, that the client is on the process of adopting to her new life without the
physical presence of her father as the latter is in prison. The client is more than willing to change into a
better person, all she need is time to complete her healing process, she stated. In addition, the
improvement of her social, emotional, and educational adjustments is observable as she appears to be
even more lively and willing to talk about anything and everything about her life every counseling
session. Based on the counselor’s observation, hearing her out , including all of her deepest secrets and
thoughts would help her to move forward.
IV. Interpretation

The client’s problem originated when she was a child. She grew up without the guidance of her
biological parents because of their busy schedules and careers. She learn her first language with the
presence of her nanny and supervision of her granny.
The client’s ordeal can be alleviate using Client – Centered Therapy. Through the application of
the mentioned technique, the client may be able to see and realize that the only person who can help
her get through with her ill feelings is herself. As she needs to come into realization that she is an
intellectual being and is able to solve all of her problems if she should focus on the brighter side of life.
Also, the client needs to understand that in the end, her life is her choice. She is the maker of
her future and an architect of her life plans. She needs to make a choice that will deliver her into the
path that she wanted for her otherwise she will deal with the consequences of not choosing to have the
life she wanted to live. She should focus her energy that will give her hope and a better future rather
than stay in the dark story of her life, particularly, on the tumultuous and complicated family that she
have. Her life doesn’t have to be destroyed because her father was convicted and the people’s opinion
towards her and her father don’t have to be her reality because in the end it’s her life and choice to live.
Every decisions has a corresponding consequences and prizes, all she need to do is to choose the
consequence that will lift her spirit because it bears sweet fruit.

V. Conclusion

The impact of imprisonment of the client’s father left Ms. Kate slightly devastated. She
experienced being discriminated socially, misunderstood, and stigmatized as a result of the crime she’s
not directly involved. She reported to have suffered from trauma, fear, shame, guilt and low self-
esteem. Relationships with other family members also suffer because her grandparents, particularly on
her mother side, started to treat her coldly. However, the incident did not make the client become
totally withdrawn, as she tried to appear strong in the outside to avoid being called “papansin” by her
neighboring friends and even cousins. It’s important to note though that she reacted aggressively
(drinking alcoholic beverages, breaking glasses) as a way of revolting from everything that’s happening
around her.
 Results of the case study also showed that the client is currently in the process of coping with
the difficulties she experienced, brought about by the imprisonment of her father. The findings showed
that the client is slightly maladjusted in her social functioning as her friends betrayed her by avoiding her
in the midst of her crisis. But the client is trying her very best to choose a good circle of friends the next
time around.

Finally, it must be noted that the client’s social, emotional, and educational adjustment was not
totally hampered as the client exhibits good intellectual ability in rationalizing things around her. She
showed some signs of being emotionally disturbed such as cutting her wrist with a blade whenever she
wanted to feel physical pain as according to her, her eyes dried out of tears a long time preceded by the
imprisonment of her father. Also, her academic performance was not vastly affected as she manage to
maintain her spot on the top list of students in their class.

VI. Recommendation
Based on the conducted counseling sessions, analysis, and conclusions, the following are the
recommended:
For the Parents.
The parents play a vital role in the life of every child. Thus the following are recommended:
1. Both parents should be available to the client, it may not be physical due to distance and her
father imprisonment condition, but they must ensure to call her whenever the circumstances
permits them to do so. They should at least make the client feel remembered and loved.
2. Contacts between the two parents should be maintained whenever possible so as to guide their
child in her growing years. They should delegate someone who will take good care of their child
when their physical presence isn’t available, someone who is more than willing enough to be
with their child and who will not take advantage of her vulnerability.
3. A good parenting plan should be chalked out in such a way that both parents share
responsibilities to their child. They should talked whenever possible especially after the client’s
father server his sentence.
4. Constant monitoring to their child’s activities would be very helpful to determine whether their
child shows warning signs that are disruptive not only in the area of social, emotional, and
educational aspect but to overall psychological well – being.
5. If symptoms of maladaptive traits and behaviors are manifested or observe, they should
professional help from a mental health professionals.
For the Academic Institution.
6. Teachers need to be familiar with the specific difficulties of crime offender children deal with. In
this way, they will be able to understand why the students with crime offender parents behave
in a particular way.
7. Teachers should foster positive relationship with their students and create a classroom
environment more conducive to learning to meet students developmental, emotional, and
academic needs.
8. Encourage not only the client but all the students as a whole to attain higher levels of
achievement despite parents’ strained relationship, crimes committed of parents, and family
difficulties.
For School Counselors
9. School counselors should help the client with personal issues, social needs, and academic
concerns, and must employ strategies to support them for fast recovery.
10. Guidance school counselors should recognized the warning signs of client’s struggles
with the difficulties at home to prevent eventual decline of her school performance.
11. School counselors and teachers should work closely to ensure that the client’s
assessment is monitored, and if a decline is validated, a school counseling activity should be
made to prevent her underachievement.
For the Peers

The importance of having support from others outside of the immediate family can boost once
resilience and helps the client to accept and be emotionally attuned even with the problematic situation
of her family. Thus, it is suggested:

12. Peers of the client should be active listeners and should extend sympathy to her
emotional release. When the client with crime offender father see support from her friends, a
rapid upturn from family disputes will likely to take place. They should not left her like a trash
because it is this time that she needed a shoulder to lean on.
For the Church Leaders
 13. Religious gatherings can be made to accommodate the spiritual needs of children with
crime offender parents for them to increase positive perspectives in life despite problematic
family system. Through this, the growing teenagers, particularly, the client will feel extra
support from people whom they view as role model which could possibly increase their interest
and motivation, leading to better life outcomes. This gathering may also help the client view life
in a brighter side.
For the General Public
14. Children of crime offender parents are also victims of crime. They never choose to have
parents who will commit crimes. Instead of avoiding and condemning them, they should be
given support. Increase awareness for the general problem should be spread to minimize stigma
against the crime offender children.
For Future Researchers
15. For further research, it would be beneficial to study other psychological dimension of a
teenagers with crime offender father or parents.
16. Larger sample size and other statistical tools aside from Pearson r must be used to
effectively monitor the psychological well – being of an individual who experience imprisonment
of parents.
17. It is recommended that interviews must be conducted to evaluate the psychological
functioning of the client who suffer from the imprisonment of parents.