Effects of two parenting programmes on intimate partner violence against women and parental criticism
Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: Violence against women (VAW) is a global public health problem and a violation of human rights. Globally, 27% of ever-partnered women 15–49 years of age have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by a current or former intimate partner at least once in their lifetime. 1 All forms of VAW are rooted in gender inequalities that perpetuate unequal gender norms, promoting male privilege and power, women’s subordination and the acceptance of violence. There is now ample evidence that VAW is preventable, and researchers are building knowledge about what programmes work to prevent violence. Calls have been made for coordinated prevention of intimate partner violence (IPV) and violence against children (VAC) as well as for comprehensive and complementary services for affected families given their intersections and compounding consequences. Parenting programmes offer a comprehensive approach to addressing IPV in addition to VAC and have the potential to disrupt the cycle of intergenerational violence by encouraging gender-equitable and non-violent family interactions by addressing common risk factors. Among the common intervention components and mechanisms that could lead to a concomitant reduction in IPV and VAC are improved parent or caregiver problem solving and communication skills with children (and between parents or caregivers). These practices have been proved to engender mutual support, respect, shared decision making, and family cohesion, potentially indirectly reducing IPV and VAC. 2 Two parenting programmes designed to reduce early child aggression and risk for VAC were implemented in 2018, with an evaluation nested in the 2015 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study. The first of these, a dialogic book-sharing (DBS) programme, aims to promote child cognitive and socio-emotional development; and the second, the ACT Raising Safe Kids Program (ACT), is designed to reduce harsh parenting. The population participating in the trial is high-risk– in terms of poverty and child aggression. Although not specifically designed or delivered to prevent VAW, both parenting interventions have addressed some of the common components and mechanisms that have the potential to indirectly reduce IPV and parental conflict (in addition to the main outcomes). These included discussing family relationships including conflict resolution for DBS and helping parents understand how children may be exposed to violence and the consequences it will have in their lives as well as helping parents learn to control and deal with anger for ACT. In the present study, we explore IPV and parental criticism as secondary outcomes following these parenting interventions. Research questions: 1. Did ACT and DBS have an effect in decreasing parental criticism? 2. Did ACT and DBS have an effect in reducing intimate partner violence?
Source: OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints)
Authors: Joseph Murray, Leonardo De Pascalis, MURRAY Lynne, Eduardo Viegas da Silva, Carolina V N Coll
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7113397946