Parenting Program: A Preliminary Evaluation

Adolescents who develop severe conduct disorders are at greater risk of becoming involved in juvenile crime, including property crime, interpersonal violence, theft, arson and illegal substance use. Prior research has found that dysfunctional parenting practices often place children at risk of developing conduct problems and are among the strongest predictors of later delinquent behaviour. Various programs have been developed to assist parents in improving their parenting skills. This paper evaluates one such program, the ‘Teen Triple P’ Positive Parenting Program. Preliminary results suggest positive outcomes for most participating parents. There have been significant reductions in a variety of risk factors, with some evidence of improvements still being maintained after six months. Further extensive evaluations are being undertaken to assess the reliability of these preliminary findings.