A pilot evaluation of "ACT Parents Raising Safe Kids" plus motivational interviewing
Graduation Date
2011
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Other
Program
Thesis (M.A.)--Humboldt State University, Psychology: Academic Research, Developmental Psychopathology, 2011
Committee Chair Name
Tasha Howe
Committee Chair Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Keywords
ACT Parents Raising Safe Kids, Motivational interviewing, Intimate partner violence, Child abuse, Violence, Parent-training program, Humboldt State University -- Theses -- Psychology, Prevention
Abstract
Adults and Children Together Parents Raising Safe Kids (ACT-PRSK) is an empirically-based, national violence prevention program created by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Its goals include reducing violence in families with children ages 0-8 and making violence prevention visible within the community. The ACT-PRSK curriculum is comprised of four modules: anger management, social problem-solving, positive discipline, and media literacy. ACT-PRSK utilizes videos, role playing, group discussions, homework, and hands-on activities that serve to teach caregivers non-violent strategies for parenting as well as increase their child development knowledge. The current study evaluated ACT-PRSK with a diverse group of multiply-stressed caregivers, including parents living in a residential drug rehabilitation setting, parents living in a transitional living home for homeless families, and teen caregivers attending a court-mandated continuation school. Caregivers were randomly assigned to a standard ACT-PRSK curriculum group or an ACT-PRSK group enhanced with motivational interviewing (MI)in order to assess whether MI was related to increased effectiveness of the ACT-PRSK program on outcomes related to positive parenting and romantic relationships. All participants were assessed pre- and post-test on issues related to parenting, discipline, child development knowledge, and romantic relationship quality. The results of this study indicate that self-reported measures of harsh parenting decreased after the ACT-PRSK program and self-reported measures of positive parenting, knowledge relating to ACT-PRSK curriculum content, and positive problem solving in intimate partner relationships increased at post-test. No differences on the outcomes measured were found between the ACT-PRSK group and the ACT group enhanced with motivational interviewing. However, future research should include larger, more diverse samples. The results of this pilot study support previous research which found that ACT-PRSK was associated with decreased harsh parenting behavior and increased positive parenting behavior. Additionally, ACT-PRSK appears to increase prosocial problem solving in romantic relationships.
Recommended Citation
Haas, Elise Patricia Anne, "A pilot evaluation of "ACT Parents Raising Safe Kids" plus motivational interviewing" (2011). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 1480.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/1480
https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/theses/w66345907