doi.org/10.1017/S1035077200001139
Article type: Original Research
1 January 2010
Volume 35 Issue 3
doi.org/10.1017/S1035077200001139
Article type: Original Research
1 January 2010
Volume 35 Issue 3
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Piloting a parenting skills program in an Australian rural child protection setting
Rosemaria Flaherty1 
Rodney Cooper2
Affiliations
1 Rosemaria.Flaherty@ncahs.health.nsw.gov.au
2
Contributions
Rosemaria Flaherty -
Rodney Cooper -
Rosemaria Flaherty1
Rodney Cooper2
Affiliations
1 Rosemaria.Flaherty@ncahs.health.nsw.gov.au
2
CITATION: Flaherty R., & Cooper R. (2010). Piloting a parenting skills program in an Australian rural child protection setting. Children Australia, 35(3), 1760. doi.org/10.1017/S1035077200001139
Abstract
This rural pilot study examined the effectiveness of a brief parenting skills intervention delivered to parents/carers of children who had experienced moderate to severe child abuse. The participants were 35 parents/carers living in rural New South Wales, Australia, who were recruited through referrals to a rural community health service. Participants were assessed pre and post the brief parenting skills education program using a battery of standardised self-report measures. Participants were randomly assigned to an immediate intervention group or a 3-month waitlist control group. The intervention was a three session ‘1-2-3 Magic’ parenting program.
T-test analyses indicated that carers who received the intervention reported significant improvements in their mental health and discipline practices, and a significant reduction in child problem behaviour compared to the waitlist control group.
The results of the study suggest that a brief psycho-educational parenting group intervention may be effective for carers of abused children in the short-term.