The proposed research is designed to evaluate an intervention to reduce risk for child maltreatment in families (mothers with children between 3-6 years) departing from battered women's shelters. The intervention is designed to reduce maternal aggression and hostility toward children, increase maternal warmth toward children, improve mothers' skills in shaping their children's behavior, and help mothers provide cleaner and safer living conditions for their children. The intervention is also designed to reduce mothers' psychological distress, to increase mothers' supports and ability to access services, and to reduce children's antisocial behavior. Additional aims of the proposed research are to: examine whether the intervention reduces the likelihood that mothers who have established independent residences will later rejoin their batterers; examine whether the intervention reduces the frequency of children's injuries and psychological trauma symptoms; and assess mothers' substance use following shelter departure. Participants will be 80 families who have sought refuge at a shelter for battered women prior to establishing residences independent of their violent partners. Families will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or comparison condition. The intervention will last for up to 8 months, with sessions conducted weekly in the families' homes. All families will participate in an initial comprehensive assessment which will include measurements of mother-child interaction, mothers' psychological distress, mothers' supports, children's antisocial behavior, children's injuries, children's psychological trauma symptoms, and mothers' substance use. Initial assessments will take place as soon as possible following shelter departure. Follow-up assessments will be conducted at 4, 8, 12, and 16 months following the original assessment.
| Jouriles, Ernest N; McDonald, Renee; Rosenfield, David et al. (2010) Improving parenting in families referred for child maltreatment: a randomized controlled trial examining effects of Project Support. J Fam Psychol 24:328-38 |
