Parent training programs are effective

Early family/parent training programs can be useful in preventing child behaviour problems according to a systematic review published by the Campbell Collaboration.

Early intervention is important
When young children exhibit behaviour problems, early intervention is vital, as these children have a greater risk of developing more serious problems later on in life. Because research also indicates that it becomes more difficult to change these children’s behaviour as time passes, early prevention has received great political and professional interest.

Family/parent training programs are aimed at parents of children with behaviour problems and aggressive behaviour, and seek to enhance and develop parenting abilities.

Early family/parent training programs work!
The review of 55 trials spanning three decades, three continents, and involving almost 10,000 children, found that early family/parent training programs had a small to moderate effect on reducing child behaviour problems in the first five years of life.

Children from families who received training coped better than children from families who did not receive training. Only 33% of children continued to exhibit behaviour problems after completing the training program, whereas 50% of children in the families who did not take part in the family/parent training program continued to have problems. The review also shows that for some the children, behaviour problems disappear over the life course without any preventive efforts.


This article is based on the systematic review:
Piquero A, Farrington D, Welsh B, Tremblay R, Jennings W: Effects of early family/parent training programs on antisocial behavior and delinquency.

Access the full text version of the review and the User Abstract below.