Parent Training Resource Allocation Optimization Using an Agent-Based Model of Child Maltreatment

This paper uses our previously created agent-based model to study the optimal way of allocating parent training resources to address unmet child need, a measure of child maltreatment. We consider parent training resource allocation prioritization based upon: a family’s own resources and the resources they have access to through their social network. Simulation results show that when targeting a community with a parent training intervention program, ignoring heterogeneity within a community is a mistake. This work demonstrates the utility of the developed agent-based model and suggests that child maltreatment research can benefit from a complexity science approach.