Effects of Two Early Parenting Programmes on Child Aggression and Risk for Violence in Brazil: a Randomised...

Area of Science:

• Global Public Health
• Developmental Psychology
• Intervention Science

Background:

• Violence is a significant global public health issue, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
• Parenting programs in high-income countries can mitigate violence risk by reducing aggression and harsh parenting, and enhancing cognitive development.
• There is a critical need for low-cost, replicable parenting interventions suitable for LMIC contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of two low-cost, group-based parenting programs (ACT: Raising Safe Kids and DBS: dialogic book-sharing) in reducing child aggression and other violence risk factors in LMICs.
• To assess the impact of these programs on child development, parenting practices, maltreatment, and stress levels.
• To determine the feasibility and replicability of these interventions in real-world LMIC settings.

Main Methods:

• A three-arm, randomized, single-blind trial involving 369 children (mean age 3.1 years) with medium-high aggression levels in poor households in southern Brazil.
• Interventions included ACT (Raising Safe Kids) and DBS (dialogic book-sharing), compared against a control group.
• Data collected via maternal reports, filmed observations, child tasks, and hair cortisol at baseline, 1-month, and 8-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• Neither ACT nor DBS demonstrated a significant effect on the primary outcome of child aggression.
• ACT showed a temporary reduction in harsh parenting behavior immediately post-intervention, but this effect did not persist at follow-up.
• DBS improved book-sharing practices, including maternal sensitivity, at both post-intervention and follow-up assessments. No other significant benefits were observed for child development or stress.

Conclusions:

• The evaluated parenting programs in Brazil had limited effects on parenting practices and did not reduce child aggression or other key violence risk/protective factors.
• Developing effective early interventions to reduce violence in LMIC settings remains a significant challenge.
• Further research is needed to identify and adapt interventions that are effective and sustainable in diverse LMIC contexts.