Developing a Parenting Programme to Prevent Child Abuse in South Africa: A Pre-Post Pilot Study

Background: Violence against children increases in adolescence, but there is a research and practice gap in evidence-based child abuse prevention for the adolescent years. A pilot programme for low-resource settings was developed in collaboration with NGOs, government and academics in South Africa, using evidence-based principles. Methods: This study used a pre-post design to test initial effects of a 10-session parenting programme with 60 participants (30 caregiver-adolescent dyads) in high-poverty rural South Africa. Areas requiring further testing and adaptation were also identified. Results: Pre-post findings show significant reductions in child abuse, violent discipline, adolescent problem behaviour, poor supervision and acceptance of violence. Improvements were seen in positive and involved parenting, and parent and adolescent social support. Conclusions: There is potential to reduce child abuse, improve parenting, and reduce adolescent problem behaviour in rural South Africa through parenting programmes. Further development is required to improve skills such as non-violent and consistent discipline.