Work

Court-mandates and parent training: Outcomes of the ACT raising safe kids program for groups of mandated and voluntary parents

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The ACT Raising Safe Kids program (ACT-RSK; Silva, 2011), developed by the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Violence Prevention Office, is an early prevention intervention focusing on parents and caregivers of young children. Results of multiple studies indicate positive impacts for ACT-RSK completers including increased nurturing and effective parenting, reduced use of harsh verbal and physical discipline, and decreased psychological and physical aggression toward children. The program is implemented in many communities with a diversity of caregivers, including court mandated parents in some communities. However, it has not yet been established whether court-mandated parents benefit from the program. The present study examines the pre- and post-program scores on a parenting measure for combined groups of court-mandated and voluntary parents (total N=65). Results indicated the total sample benefited significantly from the ACT-RSK program, that mandated status (mandated versus voluntary) did not significantly impact outcomes, and that court-mandated parents had significantly improved scores following their completion of the ACT-RSK program. Furthermore, the groups did not differ significantly in attrition from the program.

Source: Children and Youth Services Review

DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108564

Authors: Michele S. Knox, Grant Nelson

Institution: University of Toledo

Language: English

Topic: Child Welfare and Adoption

Subfield: Safety Research

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,000