Educational Challenges and Self-Efficacy among Former Child Welfare Clients in Norwegian Prisons

1. Former welfare clients in prison Hilde Hetland*, Anette Christine Iversen*, Ole Johan Eikeland**, Terje Manger* *University of Bergen, **Eikeland Research and Teaching For

2. Aim • The aim of this presentation is to address educational issues and self-efficacy among former child welfare clients in Norwegian prisons

3. Background • Recently, there has been an increased attention on poor long-term outcomes for former child welfare clients both in Norway and internationally • Many child welfare clients lack education, despite existing documentation on how positive educational experiences may contribute to resilience and recovery in contexts of adversity

4. Background • Moreover, it is a sad fact that many former child welfare clients end up in prison

6. Background • Research addressing educational background and other factors (such as self-efficacy) related to individuals who have been in the welfare system as children is a neglected area • Studies of incarcerated former welfare clients are close to nonexistent

7. Background- prison education • Attaining an education in prison can also be a way of starting a new path in life for the prisoner (Manger, Eikeland, Diseth, Hetland, & Asbjørnsen, 2010) • Norway has put strong effort into prison education, as there is an increasing awareness of the importance of educating prisoners to improve their life-quality and reduce recidivism (Steurer & Smith, 2003)

8. Background- prison education • Students in a prison context are equivalent to all Norwegian citizens entitled to adapted and customized education based on their own abilities and needs • Given common interpretation of education law in Norway, prisoners are entitled to access to education in the same manner as other citizens and residents

9. Background- prison education • In Norway the educational authorities in civilian society have the professional and financial responsibility for education and training in the correctional services • Prison education and training is thus equivalent to education outside prison with, for example, the same formal teacher qualifications

10. Background- prison education • The context for prison education in Norway is based on the “import model” or “administrative cooperation model”, where the prisons are formally linked to the ordinary public services available outside the prison

11. The import model is meant to lead to circumstances that are as normal and open as possible within a closed system

12. More specifically the research questions were: • what is the educational background of this group? • to what extent do they have learning difficulties? • do they want to participate in prison education? • to what extent do they participate ? • How is their self-efficacy compared to other prisoners?

13. 2009 2006 Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Jan. Feb Apr. May Study procedure A representative telephoned each Prison Governor and each teacher in charge of the prison education, in order to outline the purpose of the study and to arrange for the assessment to be carried out.

14. Study procedure: • In addition, a letter was sent to the same persons explaining the procedures. In line with instructions from the research group, the Prison Governor in each prison or the teacher in charge of the prison education carried out the survey

15. Method • Subjects • The participants were part of a target group that included all 3 359 prisoners over 18 years of age in Norwegian prisons • Of those who received the survey, 2 065 persons, or 63.7 percent, responded. For the present article 1 648 prisoners, 750 who attended prison education and 898 who did not attend, were included • The mean age of all prisoners in the study was 35 years of age

16. Method: • The front page of the questionnaire to all inmates explained the purpose and procedure of the study, and it was emphasized that participation in the study was voluntary • Confidential and no specific feedback on their performance provided • Inmates with reading and writing problems or who were not fluent in English or Norwegian were offered help during the completion of the questionnaire • The survey registered at the Norwegian Data Inspectorate in accordance with Norwegian law and accepted by the Regional Ethic Committee

17. Results

18. Results • Around 1/3 of the prisoners reported to be former child welfare clients.

24. Self-efficacy • Albert Bandura defines self-efficacy as: “The individual’s perceived ability to succeed at or accomplish certain tasks”

25. Academic self-efficacy • Students’ beliefs concerning their ability to perform academic related tasks (in math, reading etc)

26. Self efficacy • Our findings reveal that former child welfare clients in prison differ from others in: • Math self-efficacy • Grammar self-efficacy • Reading self-efficacy • School work self- efficacy • But not in ICT self-efficacy

27. To sum up • There is overall scarce systematic research on long term outcomes of children in the welfare system • Our findings reveal that imprisoned former welfare clients struggle more than the average prisoner • We found that many prisoners within the child former welfare group struggle with learning difficulties to a greater extent than other prisoners • We found that the child welfare group has consistently lower self-efficacy than other prisoners

28. To sum up • However…. • We also found that many former welfare clients wish to start an education in prison- and that they also do

30. Discussion • We found that child welfare prisoners have consistently lower self-efficacy than other prisoners • Workshop assignment: • What can be possible implications of this?