Early Intervention for Parents at Risk of Child Abuse and Neglect: A Preliminary Investigation

• NCJ Number: 110770
• Journal: Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology Volume: 56 Issue: 1 Dated: (February 1988) Pages: 40-47
• Author(s): D A Wolfe; B Edwards; I Manion; C Koverola
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Paper presented at meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Chicago, November, 1986

Annotation

An early intervention program for young parents and children who have been identified as being at risk of child maltreatment was evaluated.

Abstract

Thirty mother-child dyads were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (a) an information group offered by the child protection agency (which serves as a control condition) or (b) a special program of behavioral parent training in addition to the agency group. Self-report measures indicated that significant improvements in parenting risk and child behavior problems at posttest and at 3-month followup were evident only for mothers who received parent training in addition to information groups. Home observation data were inconclusive, possibly due to the limited opportunities to observe behaviors of interest. Both groups showed improvements in their child-rearing environments and in their children's adaptive behaviors at followup. Caseworker ratings of clients' risks of maltreatment and abilities to manage their families at 1-year followup significantly favored the families who received parent training in addition to information. Methodological and treatment issues arising from this preliminary investigation of early intervention with a diverse population of high-risk parents and children are discussed. (Publisher abstract)