Journal
CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT
Volume 147, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106544
Keywords
Online parenting programs; Child maltreatment; Chinese parents
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This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the online Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children (PLH-YC) program in preventing child maltreatment in Chinese families, specifically reducing corporal punishment, emotional abuse, and general maltreatment while promoting positive parenting strategies.
Background: There is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of online parenting programs for preventing child maltreatment in low-and middle-income countries. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the online Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children (PLH-YC) program in preventing child maltreatment among Chinese families specifically. Methods: A quasi-experiment was conducted, wherein 274 parents with children aged 2-9 years were assigned to either the online PLH-YC group (n = 135) or a waitlist control group (n = 139). Data were collected at baseline and one week after intervention. A difference-in-differences (DiD) design with propensity score weighting was used to estimate the between-group difference for child maltreatment as well as the associated risk and protective factors. Results: Compared to the parents in the control group, parents in the online PLH-YC intervention reported a significant reduction in the occurrence of corporal punishment (b =-1.21; 95 % CI [-2.37,-0.03]), emotional abuse (b =-3.09; 95 % CI [-5.36,-0.82]), and general maltreat-ment (b =-4.94; 95 % CI [-8.86, -1.02]) as well as an increased frequency of positive parenting strategies (b = 6.46; 95 % CI [2.21, 10.72]). Additionally, parents with high levels of depressive symptoms were significantly more likely to drop out of the program, and those with lower education levels engaged in fewer sessions. Conclusion: The online PLH-YC program can benefit families with young children by reducing the incidence of child maltreatment through improved positive parenting strategies. More random-ized controlled trials with long-term follow-ups are required to further verify the accuracy of the results obtained in this study.
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