NCJ Number
195021
Date Published
1998
Length
43 pages
Annotation
This paper discusses parent education as a cornerstone of child abuse prevention.
Abstract
Parent education is currently advocated as a significant component of any comprehensive set of preventative services for parents at high risk of abusing or neglecting their children. This paper provides an overview of parent education and the various forms it may take, in conjunction with a summary of what is known about the effectiveness of parent education interventions. The paper also discusses the role of parent education within the context of its role in a holistic framework of prevention. However, the paper observes, determining the effectiveness of parent-training programs, like much of the child abuse prevention field, has been hampered by the limited quality of much of the evaluative research produced. The paper notes that the popularity of parent education has led some to perceive those programs as a panacea for child maltreatment. The paper claims that the crucial goal is to harmonize different preventative strategies operating at varying levels in order to maximize the efficacy of any intervention. Notes, references