Although father–child relationships (FCRs) are central to children’s experience of paternal imprisonment, few studies address this subject. A systematic review was conducted to synthesize the literature on paternal imprisonment and FCRs. Four academic databases were searched for peer-reviewed studies. Thirty studies were identified. It was found that FCRs most often deteriorate due to paternal imprisonment, but sometimes remain stable or change positively. Four key factors were found to influence FCRs: (a) the quality of preprison FCRs, (b) the frequency and experience of father–child contact during imprisonment, (c) the child’s primary caregivers’ role in facilitating father–child contact, and (d) prison barriers for maintaining FCRs during imprisonment. The interplay between these factors is essential for understanding FCRs in this context, which may explain children’s divergent experiences of paternal imprisonment. An integrated framework of FCRs in the context of paternal imprisonment is presented. Limitations and directions for research are discussed.

尽管父子关系 (FCR) 是儿童经历父亲监禁的核心，但很少有研究涉及这个主题。进行了系统审查以综合有关父亲监禁和 FCR 的文献。在四个学术数据库中搜索了同行评审的研究。确定了三十项研究。发现 FCR 最常因父亲监禁而恶化，但有时会保持稳定或发生积极变化。发现影响 FCR 的四个关键因素：(a) 监狱前 FCR 的质量，(b) 监禁期间父子接触的频率和经验，(c) 儿童的主要照顾者在促进父子接触方面的作用，以及(d) 在监禁期间维持 FCR 的监狱障碍。这些因素之间的相互作用对于在这种情况下理解 FCR 至关重要，这可以解释孩子们不同的父亲监禁经历。介绍了父亲监禁背景下的 FCR 综合框架。讨论了研究的局限性和方向。