NCJ Number
224548
Journal
Child Maltreatment Volume: 13 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2008 Pages: 347-361
Date Published
November 2008
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the use of technology and media to affect dysfunctional parenting.
Abstract
This article found that parents in both standard and technology enhanced viewing conditions reported significant improvements from pre- to post-intervention in their child's behavior, dysfunctional parenting, parental anger, depression, and self-efficacy. It was additionally found that short-term improvements were maintained at a 6-month followup. Regressions identified the predictors of program outcomes and level of involvement. Parents who watched the entire series had more severe problems at pre-intervention and high sociodemographic risk than parents who did not watch the entire series. Few sociodemographic, child, or parent variables assessed at pre-intervention predicted program outcomes or program engagement, suggesting that a wide range of parents from diverse socioeconomic status benefited from the program. It was also offered that media interventions depicting evidence-based parenting programs might be a useful means of reaching hard to engage families in population-level child maltreatment prevention programs. Data were derived from an evaluation of the television series “Driving Mum and Dad Mad,” in which 723 families participated and were randomly assigned to either a standard or technology enhanced viewing condition which included additional Web-support. Tables and references