Parents view a brief violence prevention program in clinic

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Pediatric Health
• Violence Prevention

Background:

• Childhood aggression is a common concern for parents.
• Effective management strategies are crucial for child development and family well-being.
• Existing interventions may not be easily accessible or integrated into routine care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness and parent reception of a brief multimedia intervention for childhood aggression management.
• To determine if prior parental comfort levels influence program benefit.
• To explore the implications of such interventions for broader violence prevention efforts.

Main Methods:

• A multimedia educational program, Play Nicely, 2nd edition, was delivered to parents of children aged 1-7 years in a pediatric clinic setting.
• Participants (n=89) viewed the program for 10-15 minutes during their child's visit.
• Parental comfort managing aggression and plans for disciplinary changes were assessed pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Post-intervention, 90% of parents planned to alter their child's discipline strategies.
• Over 90% of parents provided positive feedback, with no negative comments recorded.
• The intervention was embraced by a diverse group of parents, regardless of their initial comfort level with aggression management.

Conclusions:

• A brief, clinic-based multimedia intervention is an effective and well-accepted method for teaching childhood aggression management skills.
• Parental comfort levels pre-intervention do not predict benefit, suggesting broad applicability.
• This approach holds promise for early intervention and violence prevention strategies in pediatric settings.