violence against children WORLD REPORT ON - CRIN

3• Home visitation specifically to preventfamily violence against children• Training for professionals and paraprofessionalswho work with children.Early education and child care programmesMany families need help in providing not onlybasic care but also stimulation and educationfor their children. Early Childhood Careand Development (ECCD) programmes aredesigned to achieve both of these objectives,and there is evidence that they can be effectivein reducing the factors that engender violencein the home. In the UK, for example, a reviewof day-care programmes for pre-school childrenof economically disadvantaged parentsfound that the effects on the mothers’ interactionwith their children were positive, and thatthe mothers’ gains in education or employmentwere beneficial for their families. Long-termbenefits to children included improved behaviouraldevelopment and school achievement,higher levels of employment, lower teenagepregnancy rates, higher socio-economic status,and decreased criminal behaviour. 187Triple P: Positive Parenting ProgrammeSince the risk factors that shape the risk of family violence occur at several levels,some of the most effective prevention strategies involve interventions at more than onelevel. An example is the Positive Parenting Programme (Triple P) originally devised inAustralia, and now also used in Canada, Germany, the Hong Kong Special AdministrativeRegion of China, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, the USA and the UK.Triple P has been shown to be effective in promoting positive parenting behaviour andis likely to reduce the risk of violence against children. The US Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention is currently funding an outcome evaluation study to assess theimpact of Triple P on child maltreatment. 184Level 1 of the programme is aimed at the whole population. For selected parents, twofurther levels offer consultation sessions in primary care settings such as health centres.For parents in difficulty, with mental health problems or where there may be a high riskof violence in the family, more intense parent training programmes are available, with8–10 sessions (level 4) or 10–16 sessions (level 5).The core principles of Triple P are:– Safe engaging environment for the child– Responsive learning environment for the child– Assertive (non-aggressive) and consistent discipline from the parent– Reasonable expectations of the child– Parent taking care of self. 18579Violence against children in the home and family