This article analyzes the panorama of published Spanish-language literature addressing protective factors and their role in the prevention of child maltreatment in Latino families. To our knowledge, ...this is the first time that the use of protective factors in English-language literature has been compared to their counterparts the Strengthening Families (SF) approach and Protective Factors Survey (PFS) frames our research process, which used reviewed literature to identify the presence of protective factors in seven Spanish-speaking countries: Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Spain, Venezuela and the United States. Our findings shed light on the importance of family functioning in Spanish-language studies to date and validate the inclusion of family functioning as a protective factor in the PFS. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
•A protective factors approach is viable in work with Latino populations.•Family functioning is one of the most important protective factors for at-risk Latinos.•Social support is a strong protective factor among at-risk Latinos.•Cultural differences are observed in knowledge of parenting and child development.•Culturally-appropriate research is needed to expand our understanding of the PF approach.
Child maltreatment (CM) is a pervasive public health problem and there is a critical need for brief, effective, scalable prevention programs. Problematic parent-child relationships lie at the heart ...of CM. Parents who maltreat their children are more likely to have punitive parenting styles characterized by high rates of negative interaction and ineffective discipline strategies with over-reliance on punishment. Thus, parenting interventions that strengthen parent-child relationships, teach positive discipline techniques, decrease harsh parenting, and decrease child behavioral problems hold promise as CM prevention strategies. Challenges in engaging parents, particularly low-income and minority parents, and a lack of knowledge regarding effective implementation strategies, however, have greatly limited the reach and impact of parenting interventions. Child Adult Relationship Enhancement in Primary Care (PriCARE)/Criando Niños con CARIÑO is a 6-session group parenting intervention that holds promise in addressing these challenges because PriCARE/CARIÑO was (1) developed and iteratively adapted with input from racially and ethnically diverse families, including low-income families and (2) designed specifically for implementation in primary care with inclusion of strategies to align with usual care workflow to increase uptake and retention.
This study is a multicenter randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms. Children, 2-6 years old with Medicaid/CHIP/no insurance, and their English- and Spanish-speaking caregivers recruited from pediatric primary care clinics in Philadelphia and North Carolina will be enrolled. Caregivers assigned to the intervention regimen will attend PriCARE/CARIÑO and receive usual care. Caregivers assigned to the control regimen will receive usual care only. The primary outcome is occurrence of an investigation for CM by child protective services during the 48 months following completion of the intervention. In addition, scores for CM risk, child behavior problems, harsh and neglectful parenting behaviors, caregiver stress, and caregiver-child interactions will be assessed as secondary outcome measures and for investigation of possible mechanisms of intervention-induced change. We will also identify PriCARE/CARIÑO implementation factors that may be barriers and facilitators to intervention referrals, enrollment, and attendance.
By evaluating proximal outcomes in addition to the distal outcome of CM, this study, the largest CM prevention trial with individual randomization, will help elucidate mechanisms of change and advance the science of CM prevention. This study will also gather critical information on factors influencing successful implementation and how to optimize intervention referrals, enrollment, and attendance to inform future dissemination and practical applications.
This trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05233150) on February 1, 2022, prior to enrolling subjects.
We examined the impact of the implementation of The Triple P-Positive Parenting Program in North Carolina (NC) on reducing child maltreatment, a serious public health problem in the US with lasting ...harmful effects on children. In 2012 and 2013, 34 of 100 counties in NC implemented Triple P. A panel data set with county-level child welfare data and emergency department (ED) discharge data from 2008 to 2015 for 100 counties in NC was constructed. A quasi-experimental design using difference-in-differences analysis estimated the association between the implementation of Triple P and the rate of (1) investigated child maltreatment reports; (2) entry into foster care; and (3) ED visits concerning for child maltreatment. Implementation of Triple P was associated with in a 4% decrease in the county rate of investigated reports of child maltreatment (
RR
= 0.96, 95% CI 0.93, 0.99) and a 7% decrease in the county rate of children in foster care (
RR
= 0.93, 95% CI 0.88, 0.98). Each of these findings was robust to one but not both sensitivity tests performed. There was no reduction in county-level rates of ED visits with ICD-9-CM codes concerning for child maltreatment. Implementation of Triple P in NC outside of the parameters of scientific study is associated with small reductions in the rates of child maltreatment reports and foster care placements. Additional research is needed to understand whether such small reductions justify the substantial investment communities are making in Triple P.
INTRODUCCIÓN. El apoyo social es un sistema complejo compuesto por diversos componentes cuyas influencias pueden proteger o poner en riesgo el ejercicio de la parentalidad positiva. Pocos estudios ...han analizado la relación de los componentes del apoyo con la efectividad de los programas de educación parental. El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar el poder predictivo de los componentes del sistema de apoyo social sobre los cambios experimentados por los participantes en la versión grupal y domiciliaria del programa “Crecer felices en familia”, un programa de apoyo psicoeducativo dirigido a familias con hijos e hijas de entre 0 y 5 años en riesgo psicosocial. MÉTODO. Los participantes en el programa implementado en varias comunidades autónomas de España fueron 352 padres y madres. Se evaluaron la composición y el nivel de uso de la red social (formal e informal), los tipos (instrumental, emocional, interacción social y apoyo afectivo) y la satisfacción con los apoyos. Se evaluaron, asimismo, los cambios experimentados por los/as participantes en las actitudes parentales, competencia parental y estrés parental. RESULTADOS. Los análisis de regresión lineal múltiple indicaron que el sistema de apoyo social predice los cambios reportados por los participantes en las tres dimensiones parentales estudiadas, mostrando diferencias según la dimensión parental, el componente de apoyo y la versión del programa aplicada. DISCUSIÓN. Este resultado pone de manifiesto la importancia de prestar atención al sistema de apoyo, ya que puede fortalecer los cambios experimentados por los participantes tras el paso de un programa de educación parental.
Child sexual abuse (CSA) in schools and educator misconduct represents a threat to the safety and well-being of our children. The Enough! Preventing Child Sexual Abuse in My School program is a ...1-hour online training course developed to address the problem of sexual misconduct and CSA in K-12 education via the use of two avatars/teachers who are navigating CSA and misconduct in their schools. One hundred and thirty-four teachers from three school districts participated in a study to examine the effectiveness of the program in terms of knowledge awareness, including prevalence rates, types of CSA behaviors, impact of CSA on children, signs and symptoms, reporting responsibilities and responses to suspected abuse. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups: the intervention group (A) received the Enough! training and completed a pre-/posttest and an evaluation of the training (n = 61), Group B (control) completed the posttest only (n = 55), and Group C (control) completed both the pre- and posttests (n = 18). Results indicated that the intervention group's knowledge was significantly higher than that of the control group's at posttest. Group A participants reported a high level of satisfaction in the training, as well as increased knowledge, awareness and willingness to take action in the future. This study points to the need to further test the effectiveness of the Enough! program (and programs like it) on a wider-basis in an effort for educators to be better prepared to protect from the threat of CSA and sexual misconduct.
The aim of this study was to assess the 12-week group version of the mentalization-based Lighthouse Parenting Program for child maltreatment prevention. Parents who might be facing mentalizing ...difficulties due to challenges in the parent-child relationship were invited to participate in the program. The aim of the program was to promote mentalizing-to encourage parents' curiosity about their children's minds and their willingness to reflect on their own feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Study participants were 101 parents (82 mothers, 19 fathers). Parenting practices and parental and family adjustment were assessed using the Parent and Family Adjustment Scale and mentalization was measured using Mentalization Scale at pre- and post-intervention assessments. Parents' feedback on the program was gathered after the program. Results revealed that mentalization, parental adjustment, and family functioning improved while coercive parenting practices decreased after the intervention. Study results provide preliminary indications of the benefits of the 12-week Lighthouse Parenting Program for parents referred or self-referred for mental health services due to their own or their child's difficulties.
The lack of culturally adapted parenting programs for Latinos contributes to low engagement in effective parenting programs. Criando a Nuestros Niños Hacio el Éxito (CANNE), a culturally adapted ...program, improves family dynamics by decreasing problematic child behavior and helping parents manage stress. CANNE was delivered with 12 Latino parents of children (age 3-7). Increased attendance and participation resulted in less child behavior problems and parenting stress from preintervention to postintervention. A culturally relevant adaptation of an evidence-based parenting program improved engagement, child behavioral outcomes, and parenting stress. Implications of mental health services in primary care facilities for Latino families are addressed.
SafeCare® is a home‐based intervention programme targeting parents of children up to 5 years old and is designed to reduce and even prevent child abuse and neglect. Here, we present an evaluation of ...a pilot trial of SafeCare® in Israel, examining family's outcomes. We examined parents' behavioural changes resulting from the three main modules of SafeCare®: the Health, Safety, and Parent‐Child/Infant Interaction. We also studied the unplanned effects of SafeCare® by examining maternal depressive symptoms. Participants were 46 mothers with children identified as being at risk of neglect by the local Department of Social Services who completed the programme. The mothers filled out questionnaires at the beginning and at the end of their participation. After completing the programme, mothers' self‐reports showed changes in how they would treat a sick child, an increase in feelings of competency, and a decline in symptoms of depression. We thus conclude that SafeCare® helped the participating mothers, enhancing their feelings of competency and changing several of their behaviours.
Evidence-based behavioral parent training programs (BPTs) have been recommended as a primary prevention strategy for child maltreatment, and use of BPTs is increasing. As these programs are ...implemented in new contexts and among new populations, the cultural relevance of these programs and need for adaptations or modifications must be considered. The purpose of this study was to assess the types of cultural adaptations that are being made to a widely implemented BPT, SafeCare, by providers working with families involved in the child welfare system, and to explore the need for more systematic adaptations. Eleven SafeCare providers, from six states, participated in individual, semi-structured interviews. Overall, the providers did not recommend systematic adaptations of the model for specific ethnic groups. However, they provided general and specific information regarding SafeCare components that require adaptation on a case-by-case basis, which is likely to be applicable to many BPTs. More research is needed to develop clear guidance about when and how to assess the need for cultural adaptations and how to institute adaptations that improve rather than weaken evidence-based programs. By sharing data and experiences, purveyors can contribute to the body of knowledge about adaptation.
► Evidence-based behavioral parent training programs (BPTs) have been recommended as a primary prevention strategy for child maltreatment, and use of BPTs is increasing. ► The purposes of this study were to assess the types of cultural adaptations that are being made to a widely implemented BPT, SafeCare, by providers working with families involved in the child welfare system, and to explore the need for more systematic adaptations. ► Eleven SafeCare providers, from six states, participated in individual, semi-structured interviews. ► Overall, the providers did not recommend systematic adaptations of the SafeCare model for specific ethnic groups. ► Providers did offer general and specific information regarding SafeCare components that require adaptation on a case-by-case, which is likely to be applicable to many BPTs. ► More research is needed to develop clear guidance about when and how to assess the need for cultural adaptations and how to institute adaptations that improve rather than weaken evidence-based programs.
This study examined the relationship between different areas of family need and the utilization of home-based, post-investigation services (HBPS) following a child protective services (CPS) ...investigation. The sample consisted of 2598 families with children who remained at home after an initial CPS investigation between July 2006 and April 2011. Family need was measured in three areas (concrete, clinical, and educational) using the Family Assessment Form (FAF), and families received one or more of the following HBPS: case management, concrete, educational, and clinical services. Pearson chi-square analyses were utilized to identify significant areas of needs to be included in a final multivariate logistic regression for each HBPS while controlling for demographic characteristics.
Numerous areas of family need were associated with receipt of services intended to address those needs. Specifically, concrete need related to financial conditions was met with concrete services, educational need related to child development (an indicator of parenting need) was met with educational services, and clinical need related to interactions between caregivers (a potential indicator of domestic violence) was met with clinical services. In contrast, caregivers with concrete need related to living conditions were less likely to receive both educational and clinical services. Findings from the study highlight that matching concrete needs to related services is relatively straightforward but that the match between educational and clinical needs to respective services is more complex. We discuss the complexities of matching different areas of need and HBPS following a CPS investigation and the importance of "bridging services" to engage families at risk of maltreatment in additional prevention services.
•We examined the match among need (concrete, educational, and clinical) and respective services after a CPS investigation.•Families received numerous services to meet multiple needs, which may have been enhanced by providing “bridging services”.•Matching need and services is easy for concrete need but related to many areas of need for educational and clinical need.•Caregivers with early signs of domestic violence (as measured by caregiver interactions) may be more amenable to services.
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