Effectiveness of the Family Education Program on Protection from Neglect and Abuse Offered to Families with Children with Disabilities

Abstract

Introduction: This study was conducted to test the effectiveness of a family education program on the prevention of neglect and abuse, which is offered to families with children with disabilities, on the knowledge levels of families about neglect and abuse. In the study, a family education booklet prepared by the researchers regarding the prevention of neglect and abuse in the training process was used. The content of the family education booklet was organized into presentations and were presented in five sessions.Method: This research was carried out using a mixed methods approach in which both quantitative and qualitative findings were used. In the study, a pretest-post-test experimental design with experimental and control groups was used to collect the quantitative data. The same tests were applied to the experimental group three weeks after the training, and monitoring data were obtained. In addition, an interview form consisting of four questions prepared by the researcher was applied to the experimental group immediately after the training, and the opinions of the families about the education were captured. The quantitative data of the research were analyzed using a statistical software program. The research was conducted with a total of 40 parents with children with disabilities, with 20 participants in the experimental group and 20 participants in the control group.Results: It was observed that the family education program on protection from neglect and abuse offered to families with children with disabilities was effective in increasing the level of knowledge of families on neglect and abuse. From the findings of this study, it was concluded that the effectiveness of the family education program, which was also presented in the follow-up tests applied to the families three weeks later, was preserved.Discussion: While the families had a low level of knowledge about neglect and abuse before the training, there was an increase in their knowledge level after the training. It is thought that if families are informed about this issue, they will be wiser about their children’s protection from neglect and abuse. Therefore, this study will serve the purpose of assisting to prevent neglect and abuse.