NCJ Number
226403
Journal
Child Abuse Review Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Dated: January-February 2009 Pages: 41-59
Date Published
January 2009
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study evaluated the use of the Strengthening Families Program (SFP) for young people aged 10 to 14 and their parents in the United Kingdom based on the experience of facilitators and families in Barnsley.
Abstract
The SFP for young people aged 10 to 14 is an evidence-based family intervention that has been shown to be effective as a long-term primary prevention for alcohol and drug misuse in the United States. It has also been used in a number of settings in the United Kingdom, but most notably in Barnsley. The results of this study provide some evidence that both participating families and facilitators perceive the program in its United States form as useful and meaningful. However, evidence of quantitative changes to family functioning, emotional health and well-being, young person’s behavior, and substance use obtained during the study were difficult to interpret. The findings suggest that the SFP may be a useful primary prevention intervention in helping to prevent alcohol and drug use in the United Kingdom. Studies of the use of the SFP as a universal intervention were highly recommended. The reported effectiveness of the SFP as a primary prevention program has led several practitioners to experiment with its use in a number of United Kingdom settings. Thus, the purpose of this study to formally evaluate the use of the SFP in the United Kingdom based on the experience of facilitators and families in Barnsley. Figures, tables, and references