NCJ Number
209528
Journal
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Volume: 28 Issue: 2S1 Dated: February 2005 Pages: 11-39
Date Published
February 2005
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This article presents results from a review on the effectiveness of early childhood home visitation in the prevention of violence, focusing on violence by and against juveniles.
Abstract
In the United States, home visitation programs have generally been offered to specific population groups, such as low income, minority, young, less educated, first-time mothers, substances abusers, children at risk of abuse or neglect, and developmentally compromised infants. In this review of the effectiveness of early childhood home visitation, home visitation is defined as a program that includes visitation of parent(s) and children in their home by trained personnel who convey information about child health, development, and care. The purpose of the review was to assess the effectiveness of home visitation programs in preventing violence. Studies were reviewed only if they assessed violent outcomes, and studies were reviewed whether or not violence was the primary target or outcome of the visitation, as long as the study qualified by specified inclusion criteria and assessed violent outcomes. In addition, studies examining any of four violent outcomes: violence by the visited child, violence by the visited parent other than child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, and violence against the child, specifically maltreatment, were reviewed. The review, along with recommendations, proves to be a useful and powerful tool for public health policymakers, program planners and implementers, and researchers. References and appendix