violence against children WORLD REPORT ON - CRIN

3Support for parents and familiesMaternal and child health servicesServices for reproductive and maternal andchild health are the first line of action to reduceneglect and violence against children fromtheir earliest moments of life. These servicesnot only provide the possibility of preventingunwanted pregnancies and improving access toprenatal, post-natal and early childhood healthcare, but can also help strengthen early attachmentand reduce the risk of parental violenceagainst young children. Most countries providematernity services and some have homevisitation programmes for newborns by healthor community workers/volunteers. Therefore,the early identification of parents whoneed support can be achieved without stigmaUSA, 1997, Tiffany, 10, her mother, Letisha and herstep-father, Billie, sit on a sidewalk bench in the city of DaytonaBeach. After months of homelessness, they have decided to sendTiffany and her sister, Tonya, 13, to live with their grandmotherin another state.UNICEF/HQ97-0211. Betty Pressor labelling by the routine checks on mothersand children through maternity services,promoting safe pregnancy and childbirth, andthrough home visits by health workers. Thesegive an opportunity to provide parent education,and to direct resources to ‘high priority’families by identifying known risk factors andoffering additional services.Home visitation andparent education programmesProgrammes focusing on family functioning,particularly on family management, problemsolving,and parenting practices, have existed forseveral decades. There is strong and consistentevidence showing them to be effective in reducinghome and family violence against children,as well as other negative child health and developmentoutcomes. The most successful programmesaddress both the internal dynamics ofthe family and the family’s capacity for dealingwith external demands. Caregiver education canalso pre-empt the evolution of poor parent-childrelationships, and provide a context in which toteach parents non-violent methods of discipline.The earlier these programmes are delivered inthe child’s life and the longer their duration, thegreater the benefits.Home visitation involves health professionals,social workers or trained volunteers in theassessment of infants and young children’sneeds and their parents’ capacity to meet thoseneeds, given the family’s current social andeconomic situation. Personalised home visitsaim to provide emotional support and trainingto promote positive parental knowledge, skillsand behaviour, and to a certain extent to assess77Violence against children in the home and family