Date of Publication
1-29-2025
Abstract
Background: Over 600,000 children in the United States experienced abuse or neglect in 2021. Programs for child abuse prevention have shown reductions in child abuse; long-term follow-up research has not been performed. This project collaborated with Prevent Child Abuse Vermont (PCAVT) to examine long-term outcomes of the Nurturing Parent Program® (NPP) on patterns associated with child abuse and neglect. Methods: The NPP assesses risk using the validated Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI) before and immediately after the program. The current study distributed an optional survey containing five subjective open-ended questions and AAPI to 321 former participants via two emails and a text reminder. Quantitative data was analyzed using methods from the NPP; qualitative data were coded and analyzed to identify themes and insights regarding the program's impact. Results: Thirteen responses were received; 10 completed the AAPI. Data from PCAVT showed improvement in all constructs immediately after the NPP. Post-post testing demonstrated sustained improvements above pre-test values for four constructs, while scoring on the use of corporal punishment was worse than baseline. Free response questions demonstrated themes of realistic expectations of children and learning both coping and self-regulation skills. Nine of eleven respondents wished they completed the NPP sooner. Conclusion: Our study is one of the first to evaluate long-term impact of programs like the NPP. PCAVT has highlighted the importance of long-term evaluation to support maintaining no-cost offerings to future participants. Future investigation into changed attitudes toward corporal punishment could elucidate how to sustain improvements in this area as well.
Advisor(s)
Elzerie de Jager, MBBS, PhD
Larner College of Medicine
Michelle Richling, Med
Prevent Child Abuse
Agency
Prevent Child Abuse
Subjects
Children, Violence Prevention, Educational and Community-Based Programs
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License
Recommended Citation
Baroni, Tanner; Kim, Grace; Medve, Elizabeth; Roh, Sung Bin; Sebuufu, Benjamin; Suberu, Eunice; and Wasley, Shannon, "Prevent Child Abuse Vermont Demonstrates the Long-Term Benefits of the Nurturing Parenting Programs in Improving Parents' Attitudes Toward Their Children" (2025). Public Health Projects, 2008-present. 330.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/330
