Abstract
BackgroundConsistent findings about the effectiveness of parent programs to prevent or reduce child maltreatment are lacking.MethodsIn the present meta-analysis we synthesized findings from 27 independent samples from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effectiveness of 20 different intervention programs aimed at (i) preventing the occurrence of child maltreatment in the general population or with at-risk but non-maltreating families, or (ii) reducing the incidence of child maltreatment in maltreating families.ResultsA significant combined effect on maltreatment (d = 0.13; N = 4883) disappeared after the trim-and-fill approach that takes into account publication bias against smaller studies without significant outcomes. However, moderator analyses showed that larger effect sizes were found for more recent studies, studies with smaller samples, programs that provide parent training instead of only support, programs that target maltreating instead of at-risk families, and programs with a moderate length (6–12 months) or a moderate number of sessions (16–30).ConclusionsMore RCTs are needed to further unravel which factors are associated with program effectiveness. Because currently existing programs appeared to only reduce and not prevent child maltreatment, efforts in the field of preventive intervention should also focus on the development and testing of preventive programs for families at risk for child maltreatment.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2387-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Consistent findings about the effectiveness of parent programs to prevent or reduce child maltreatment are lacking
Which interventions are most effective? Twenty different intervention programs were tested in the studies included in the meta-analysis
Combined intervention effect The combined effect size of the 27 intervention effects on maltreatment in the general population, families at-risk for maltreatment or maltreating families was d = 0.13 (N = 4883; 95 % confidence intervals (CIs): 0.05 ~ 0.21; p < .01), in a heterogeneous set of outcomes (Q = 56.06, p < .01)
Summary
Consistent findings about the effectiveness of parent programs to prevent or reduce child maltreatment are lacking. The number of parent support programs aimed at preventing or reducing child maltreatment has grown over the last decades. Some of these programs were found to have a positive impact on various parenting domains in studies using randomized controlled designs (RCTs; [1]). We synthesized findings of all randomized controlled trials (23 studies) that tested the effectiveness of 20 different programs, aimed at the general population, at-risk, and maltreating groups, in order to reveal the overall success of programs to prevent or reduce the occurrence of child maltreatment and to uncover factors that influence the effectiveness of intervention programs. If the content of the intervention and control group were identical [43], the difference in duration and number of sessions between the intervention and control condition were coded
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