NCJ Number
195745
Date Published
2001
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This article reviews seven studies and provides a systematic review of parent training and support before age 3.
Abstract
The objective of this review was to assess the impact of early parenting and home visitation programs on disruptive behaviors and delinquency in children in 7,917 families, mainly with the mothers, in the United States, Australia and Bermuda. Electronic databases of titles and abstracts were used to identify trials that met methodological quality for inclusion in this review. The TTIS, Threats to Trial Integrity Score, was the instrument used to measure the quality of the design of a controlled trial. The following selection criteria were used: provision of parent training to parents of a child under the age of 3, a randomized or quasi-experimental trial design, and the use of a control group. Interventions were begun when the child was 12 months old or younger, or 24 months old, and continued up to ages 3, 4, 5, or 6. Follow-up ranged from immediately after intervention to 13 years following the end. Overall, the results of the study were mixed, with four that reported no evidence of effectiveness, two reported beneficial effects, and one study reported mainly beneficial effects with some harmful effects. One study evaluated home visitation and parent training. It reported beneficial effects to children's behavior 13 years after intervention. Of the seven trials examined, only three reported some beneficial effects on disruptive behavior or delinquency. It was noted that there was a lack of adequately designed studies to evaluate, thus it was recommended that numerous well-designed studies be undertaken in this area. Tables, references