Support Over Silence for KIDS: A bystander training program to address public child maltreatment

Abstract

ObjectiveTo describe the development of Support over Silence for KIDS, a bystander program that trains community members and hospital personnel how to defuse challenging moments between caregivers and their children in public. MethodsFocus groups were conducted with community members, caregivers, and hospital personnel to learn their perspectives on public child maltreatment, barriers and facilitators to intervening, skills needed to intervene, and cultural factors related to caregiver-child interactions. A systematic review was conducted of sexual violence bystander intervention programs to provide recommendations for translating training methods from programs with positive outcomes. We used psychosocial theories and models to unify programmatic components and activities. ResultsFindings from formative research, the systematic review, and translation of existing models and theoretical frameworks resulted in Support Over Silence for KIDS, a bystander training program that supports caregivers and children struggling in public. ConclusionBystander frameworks can be translated to advance other public health goals by considering formative research and supporting theoretical approaches.