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ACT Raising Safe Kids

Topic Areas
Scientific Rating
Child Welfare Relevance
Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (Primary) Programs
3  — Promising Research Evidence
Medium

About This Program

Target Population: Parents and caregivers (e.g., grandparents and other relatives raising young children, foster parents, and adoptive parents) of children birth to 10 years old, as well as pregnant mothers and their spouses or partners

For parents/caregivers of children ages: 0 – 10

Program Overview

ACT Raising Safe Kids Program is a universal parenting program designed to promote positive parenting and prevent child maltreatment by fostering knowledge and skills that change or improve parenting practices. The program is delivered by trained and certified ACT Facilitators in 9 sessions of 2-hour each on average. The ACT program has a universal public health approach and aims to reach to all parents of young children in a given community. The ACT program addresses parents' use of effective, nonviolent discipline and nurturing behaviors. It addresses parental knowledge of child development, discipline methods, and media literacy. It also addresses parents' anger management, social problem solving skills and their ability to teach/model these skills to children. By promoting effective parenting practices, the program also addresses children's aggression and behavior problems. ACT also provides a supportive community of parents who help and support each other during and after the program: it builds community.

Program Goals

The primary goals of the ACT Raising Safe Kids Program are:

  • Educate parents and caregivers of young children to create safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments that prevent child maltreatment; protect children and youth from long-term consequences of maltreatment
  • Provide research-based knowledge, tools, and skills for effective parenting practices
  • Provide a supportive, nonjudgmental, interactive, and fun environment for learning and sharing to occur; to nurture and promote the development of social support networks among participants
  • Educate parents and caregivers on how to act as supportive teachers, advocates, and protectors of their children

The primary objectives for parents/caregivers are:

  • Use child development knowledge (i.e., what we can expect a child to do/feel/understand at different ages and stages?) to guide their parenting practices
  • Build and maintain safe, nurturing nonviolent environment for their children
  • Identify the different emotions for different situations and use positive strategies to recognize and control their own and their children's anger
  • Control and monitor their children's exposure to electronic media
  • Shift their approach to discipline: teach, model, and reinforce positive child desired behaviors
  • Identify the negative consequences of using physical punishment when their children misbehave
  • Identify and use positive nonviolent discipline options to teach desirable behaviors
  • List concrete ways (actions) to become their children's advocates and protectors in the community

Logic Model

The program representative did not provide information about a Logic Model for ACT Raising Safe Kids.

Essential Components

The essential components of the ACT Raising Safe Kids Program include:

  • Parents and caregivers of children birth to 10 years, as well as pregnant mothers and their spouses and partners from all backgrounds, participate in the program.
  • The recommended group size is roughly 10-12 parents or caregivers, but flexibility is allowed to enable facilitators to adapt to community needs.
  • The program sessions are implemented in a variety of community-based settings that serve families, such as child-care centers, Head Start centers, schools, community centers, hospitals, and places of worship, shelters, as well as in prisons and as part of teen pregnancy programs in high schools.
  • Cultural competence is a primary objective in the training of facilitators and coordinators. It is expected that professionals trained in the program will identify, understand, and appreciate cultural differences and support contributions from participants from diverse cultural backgrounds.
  • Cultural competence also guides thoughtful curriculum adaptation.
  • Motivational Interviewing (MI) approach and techniques are used to help parents' decision to change their parenting practices and to promote positive behavioral changes. MI is reviewed during the facilitator's initial training and at follow-up webinars, and is embedded into the curriculum.
  • ACT Raising Safe Kids Program group sessions are organized to disseminate the curriculum that includes:
    • Understanding children's behaviors
    • Impact of exposure to violence on children
    • Understanding and controlling parents' anger
    • Understanding and helping angry children
    • Impact of exposure to electronic media on children
    • Discipline and parenting styles
    • Discipline for positive behaviors
    • Parents as teachers, advocates, and protectors of their children
  • ACT sessions are developed based on established methods of engaging and teaching adult learners and involve:
    • Role-play
    • Group discussion
    • Engagement of participants as experts and knowledgeable individuals
    • Brain-storming
  • In ACT sessions, there is minimal lecture and maximized opportunities for active participation by parents. Some activities involve use of Play-Doh, pipe cleaners, collage, preparation of posters, etc.
  • The importance of parent/caregiver practice of skills and modeling of positive, nonviolent, prosocial behavior for children is embedded throughout the program.
  • Participants are given homework each week that is designed to support understanding of program concepts and content, engage participants in practice of skills at home, and reinforce adherence to program goals.
  • Parents in the program are regularly provided with written materials (designed for 5th grade literacy level and to be user friendly) to support and remind them about what is learned in the sessions through the ACT Parents' Handbook. All materials are translated into several languages.

Program Delivery

Parent/Caregiver Services

ACT Raising Safe Kids directly provides services to parents/caregivers and addresses the following:

  • Parents or caregivers of children birth to 10-years old
Services Involve Family/Support Structures:

This program involves the family or other support systems in the individual's treatment: The program is for parents and is offered within the context of existing programs and services provided by a variety of community agencies and organizations (Head start centers, community health centers, schools, clinics, prisons, shelters, places of worship, social service agencies, etc.) that have other initiatives for families. ACT is designed to be easily embedded into existing systems of care/support for families provided by a variety of organizations.There is an optional program for accompanying children being cared for during the program sessions for parents. The Children Activities Manual is organized in sessions and each provides children with games, activities, and practices in non-violent problem-solving, anger management, and kindness that mirror the curriculum for their parents.

Recommended Intensity:

2-hour weekly sessions

Recommended Duration:

Nine weeks

Delivery Settings

This program is typically conducted in a(n):

  • Hospital
  • Outpatient Clinic
  • Community-based Agency / Organization / Provider
  • School Setting (Including: Day Care, Day Treatment Programs, etc.)

Homework

ACT Raising Safe Kids includes a homework component:

The program curriculum is delivered in 9 sessions/classes, each class has assigned homework that is designed to advance understanding of the program content, reinforce learning, and encourage practice of skills. In addition, homework can stress commitment to attend the next class/session. The homework sheets are listed in the ACT program manual and are provided to ACT Facilitators on a CD.

Languages

ACT Raising Safe Kids has materials available in languages other than English:

Greek, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish

For information on which materials are available in these languages, please check on the program's website or contact the program representative (contact information is listed at the bottom of this page).

Resources Needed to Run Program

The typical resources for implementing the program are:

One or two trained ACT Facilitators, a room appropriate for teaching and small group work, flipchart, and snacks or food for participants. A computer or laptop and projector are encouraged but not necessary. Host centers may provide childcare for children in a separate room, if needed to make it possible for parents to participate in the program. If possible, facilitators should provide incentives for participants such as gift certificates, food baskets, toys and children's books.

Manuals and Training

Prerequisite/Minimum Provider Qualifications

The minimum educational requirement to be an ACT Facilitator and conduct the program for parents is an associate degree, but a bachelor's degree is preferred. It is also expected that professionals joining the program must be working at or with an organization that typically serves families, and must have professional experience working with families and young children and/or conducting/teaching groups of adults. It is also expected that to join the program, professionals need to show support from their organizations for the work ahead.

Manual Information

There is a manual that describes how to deliver this program.

Training Information

There is training available for this program.

Training Contacts:
  • Donna Dickman, Director, ACT Great Lakes Regional Center
    dept.: Partnership for Violence-Free Families

    Lima, OH
  • Howard Baker, PhD, Director, ACT Northeast Regional Center
    Lemberg's Children's Center, Brandeis University

    Waltham, MA
  • Milton Fuentes, PsyD, Director, ACT Mid-Atlantic Regional Center, Department Chair
    The School of Professional Psychology/DC Campus

    Washington,, DC
  • Pat Seghers, PhD, Director, ACT Mid-West Regional Center
    Pillars Community

    Chicago, IL
  • Elise Suna, LMFT, Education Director
    The Miami University
    dept.: The Melissa Institute on Violence Prevention and Treatment

    Miami, FL
Training Type/Location:

There are five ACT Regional Centers in different parts of the country that organize and conduct the 2-day training workshops to prepare professionals to conduct the program for parents and caregivers. The institutions are:

ACT Northeast Regional Center at Lemberg's Children Center at Brandeis University (MA, NY, NJ, CT);

ACT Great Lakes Regional Center at University of Toledo College of Medicine (OH, KY, PA, MI);

ACT Midwest Regional Center at Pillars, Chicago (IL, IN, WI, MN);

ACT Southeast Regional Center at The Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention and Treatment, University of Miami (FL, PR, TN, MS)

ACT Mid-Atlantic Regional Center at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology/DC Campus (DC, MD, VA, WV)

Each regional center organizes at their headquarters the 2-day regional workshops for professionals coming from their respective regions. At the workshops professionals are trained to become ACT Facilitators. Training of ACT Facilitators can also be conducted by an ACT Coordinator at a city/town level, making it more convenient for professionals to attend and respond to local demands as well. Training of ACT Coordinators is completed with an 3-hour online national training conducted by the APA Violence Prevention Office and the regional center directors.

Number of days/hours:

Training and certification of ACT Program Facilitators is completed through a 2-day, 16-hour workshop for professionals. The program certification process requires that after the initial training they implement the program for one group of parents and/or caregivers and submit recordings and documentation (completed ACT Checklist Form) regarding the implementation of the program to the respective ACT Regional Center director, to be certified. Training and certification of ACT Coordinators to prepare them to conduct the ACT Facilitators 2-day workshops include participation in the initial 2-day training, certification as an ACT Facilitator, participation in the 3-hour online training conducted by the national program director and/or the regional center directors, and facilitation or co-facilitation of one workshop to train Facilitators. ACT Coordinators are also certified by the respective regional center.

Implementation Information

Pre-Implementation Materials

There are pre-implementation materials to measure organizational or provider readiness for ACT Raising Safe Kids as listed below:

The ACT program national office and the ACT Regional Directors conduct a rigorous application process to select attendees for the initial training of ACT Facilitators. Applicants are requested to show in a questionnaire that they have the necessary background, which includes:

  • Educational background including at minimum an Associate's Degree
  • Experience working professionally with children and families, conducting/teaching groups for adults, and with program implementation (several questions address these issues)

In addition, applicants need to show evidence of organizational support to implement ACT through a letter of support from the organization; and a resume must be submitted to show qualifications and experience.

Those selected to attend the training, receive the document ACT Program Training and Certification Processes that describes the rigorous processes of training and certification.

The ACT Manual, distributed at the initial 2-day training, includes a chapter entitled, ACT Facilitator Guide that provides guidance and suggestions on how to implement the program successfully as well as information about evidence-supported methods of educating adult learners. In addition, ACT Facilitators also receive the ACT Marketing Toolkit to help them and their organizations promote the program in their communities and recruit parents for the program groups. ACT Coordinators (those who can also conduct the 2-day training for professions) also receive the toolkit to help recruit professionals for their trainings.

Contact Julia da Silva at jsilva@apa.org for the application questionnaire, the ACT Manual, and ACT Toolkit.

Formal Support for Implementation

There is formal support available for implementation of ACT Raising Safe Kids as listed below:

Oversight of implementation is provided by the APA Violence Prevention Office director in collaboration with the directors of the five ACT Regional Centers through regular emails, the ACT listserv, conference calls, Skype, and the 2-day annual ACT Leadership Seminar at the American Psychological Association in Washington, DC. In addition, each regional center has a process to provide oversight, help with implementation and problem solving, and technical support to the program sites in their areas, by way of regular emails, phone calls, meetings, and an annual meeting (reunion) in a rotating, convenient location.

When funding is available, the APA Violence Prevention Office provides financial support to help the ACT Regional Centers award mini-grants to local organizations implementing the program. Revenue from sale of program materials is also used to award scholarships to ACT Coordinators to attend the annual 2-day ACT Leadership Seminar at the American Psychological Association headquarters in Washington, DC.

The APA Violence Prevention Office also functions as a catalyst and focal point, creating a great sense of community and collaboration among all involved with the program. As a result, there is a high level of collaboration and networking among regional center directors, ACT Coordinators, and ACT Facilitators from all over the country and many parts of the world. The annual seminar, the ACT listserv, and regular emails reduce distances and create a community of partners.

Fidelity Measures

There are fidelity measures for ACT Raising Safe Kids as listed below:

Fidelity of implementation of the ACT Raising Safe Kids Program is a major goal of the APA Violence Prevention Office. Fidelity is addressed in detail at the 2-day initial ACT Facilitator workshop, at the ACT Coordinator online training, and at the annual ACT Leadership Seminar. Fidelity and adaptation are also discussed at regular emails exchanges between the APA national office, regional center directors, and ACT Coordinators.

As a measure, the ACT Facilitator Manual includes the ACT Checklist Form that ACT Facilitators conducting the program for parents need to complete for each group and email to the respective ACT Regional Center director that follows up.

Since the program is implemented in diverse communities, cultures, and languages, a certain level of adaptation is needed. The program national office at APA has articulated messages and language defining acceptable levels of adaptation, necessary due to cultural diversity.

Implementation Guides or Manuals

There are implementation guides or manuals for ACT Raising Safe Kids as listed below:

Implementation guidance is embedded into the ACT Facilitator Manual.

Research on How to Implement the Program

Research has been conducted on how to implement ACT Raising Safe Kids as listed below:

  • Knox, M., Burkhart, K., & Cromly, A. (2013). Supporting positive parenting in community health centers: The ACT Raising Safe Kids Program. Journal of Community Psychology, 41(4), 395-407.
  • Weymouth, L.A., & Howe, T.R. (2011). A multi-site evaluation of Parents Raising Safe Kids Violence Prevention Program. Children and Youth Services Review, 33, 1960-1967.

Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research

Child Welfare Outcomes: Safety and Child/Family Well-Being

Guttman, M., Mowder, B. A., & Yasik, A. E. (2006). The ACT Against Violence training program: A preliminary investigation of knowledge gained by early childhood professionals. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 37(6), 717–723. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.37.6.717

Type of Study: Pretest–posttest study with a nonequivalent control group (Quasi-experimental)
Number of Participants: 277

Population:

  • Age — 20–60 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 64% Caucasian, 20% Hispanic, 8% African American, 5% Asian, and 4% Multiethnic
  • Gender — 82% Female and 18% Male
  • Status — Participants were early childhood professionals working in preschool settings, elementary schools, and mental health settings in the New York area and doctoral-level students in combined school/clinical child psychology programs.

Location/Institution: New York

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to examine the utility of the Against Violence Parents Training (ACT) program [now called ACT Raising Safe Kids] in disseminating knowledge to early childhood professionals. Participants were obtained from ACT training workshops, while the comparison group was obtained through graduate training programs and did not receive the ACT training until completion of the study. Measures utilized were developed by the project. Results indicate that the program is effective in terms of both participants’ increase in knowledge and perception of knowledge regarding violence in childhood. Limitations include the nonrandomization of participants, the predominately female participants which limits the generalizability of findings, the use of a single data point, and lack of follow-up.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.

Miguel, J. J., & Howe, T. R. (2006). Implementing and evaluating a national early violence prevention program at the local level: Lessons from ACT (Adults and Children Together) against violence. Journal of Early Childhood and Infant Psychology, 2, 17–37.

Type of Study: One-group pretest–posttest study
Number of Participants: 51

Population:

  • Age — 18–65 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 69% White, 11.8% mixed or other, 8% American Indian or Alaska Native, 2% Asian, and 2% Hispanic/Latino
  • Gender — 95% Female and 5% Male
  • Status — Participants were social service providers, students, mental health professionals, preschool teachers or staff, elementary school teachers or staff, government representatives or officials, and university faculty or staff; subjects were obtained from ACT nationally prepared trainers, through community networking, phone calls, and distributed letters and flyers.

Location/Institution: Humboldt County, California

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to examine the utility of the Against Violence Parents Training (ACT) program [now called ACT Raising Safe Kids] in disseminating knowledge to early childhood professionals. Measures utilized include the Self-Assessment Form, the ACT Evaluation Scenarios, the Post Workshop Evaluation Form, and the Battelle Interview. Results indicate that participants perceived their skills and knowledge in the area of violence prevention to have increased after participating in the ACT training. Participants also showed increased objectively measured knowledge in the area of child development and non-violent problem solving after attending the ACT training. Limitations include small sample size and concerns about generalizability due to the primarily female sample and high attrition rates, with only 17 of the 51 participants completing the follow-up.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 3 months.

Porter, B., & Howe, T. (2008). Pilot evaluation of the “ACT Parents Raising Safe Kids” violence prevention program. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 1(3), 193–206. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361520802279158

Type of Study: Pretest–posttest study with a nonequivalent control group (Quasi-experimental)
Number of Participants: 18

Population:

  • Age — 20–59 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 72% White, 11% Hispanic, 11% Multiethnic, and 6% Native American
  • Gender — 61% Female
  • Status — Participants were parents recruited through child welfare and a parenting center.

Location/Institution: Rural Northern California

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the Adults and Children Together (ACT) “Parents Raising Safe Kids program [now called ACT Raising Safe Kids]. Participants who completed the ACT program were compared to those who were recruited into the program but did not complete it. Measures utilized include the ACT evaluation survey, Humboldt State University Parenting Survey, and Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-2). Results indicate improvements for the completers across all four modules of the ACT program: anger management, social problem solving, nonaggressive discipline, and media violence literacy. All parents who completed the ACT program reported complete cessation of physical punishment. Limitations include the small sample size, attrition, and the predominantly White sample.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 3 months.

Knox, M. S., Burkhart, K., & Hunter, K. E. (2010). ACT Against Violence Parents Raising Safe Kids Program: Effects on maltreatment-related parenting behaviors and beliefs. Journal of Family Issues, 32(1), 55–74. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X10370112

Type of Study: Pretest–posttest study with a nonequivalent control group (Quasi-experimental)
Number of Participants: 92

Population:

  • Age — Mean=32.93 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 59% White/Caucasian, 24% African American, 11% Latino/Latina, 5% Biracial, and 1% Asian
  • Gender — 85% Female
  • Status — Participants were parents and children recruited from a mental health agency for children, an urban community center, and a court of common pleas.

Location/Institution: Not specified

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the ACT Against Violence Parents Raising Safe Kids program (ACT-PRSK) [now called ACT Raising Safe Kids] to determine the program’s effects on parenting behaviors. The first 50 participants were assigned to the intervention group and completed the ACT-PRSK program, and the remaining 42 parents/caregivers served as comparisons. Measures utilized include the ACT Against Violence Parents Raising Safe Kids Scale. Results indicate that there was a reduced rate of spanking and of hitting children with objects for the ACT-PRSK participants. Furthermore, the ACT-PRSK group showed improved knowledge, behaviors, and beliefs regarding violence prevention and parenting. Limitations include nonrandomization of participants, sole use of a project-designed measure, and attrition.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.

Knox, M., Burkhart, K., & Howe, T. (2011). Effects of the ACT Raising Safe Kids Parenting Program on children’s externalizing problems. Family Relations, 60(4), 491–503. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2011.00662.x

Type of Study: Pretest–posttest study with a nonequivalent control group (Quasi-experimental)
Number of Participants: 87

Population:

  • Age — Mean=31.16 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 60% White, 22% African American, 12% Latino/Latina, 6% Biracial, and 1% Asian
  • Gender — Approx. 85% Female 15% Male
  • Status — Participants were parents and caregivers involved in services at a community center, a mental health agency, and a court of common pleas.

Location/Institution: Midwestern metropolitan area

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of the ACT Parents Raising Safe Kids (ACT-PRSK) program [now called ACT Raising Safe Kids] on children’s behavior. Participants were sequentially assigned, first to the intervention group and then to the comparison groups. Measures utilized include the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results indicate that the behavior of children of ACT-PRSK parents improved significantly more than the comparison group from pretest to posttest on the Conduct Problems subscale of the SDQ. Results from the CBCL indicated that both ACT-PRSK and comparison children improved significantly over time. Limitations include nonrandomization of participants, attrition, and reliance on self-reported measures.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.

Portwood, S. G., Lambert, R. G., Abrams, L. P., & Nelson, E. B. (2011). An evaluation of the Adults and Children Together (ACT) Against Violence Parents Raising Safe Kids Program. Journal of Primary Prevention, 32(3), 147–160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-011-0249-5

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 271

Population:

  • Age — Mean=33.3 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 65% Hispanic, 19% White, and 13% Black
  • Gender — 90% Female
  • Status — Participants were parents involved with a social service agency and parents enrolled in parent programs.

Location/Institution: Chicago, Illinois; Newport News, Virginia; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Adults and Children Together (ACT) Against Violence Parents Raising Safe Kids program [now called ACT Raising Safe Kids]. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention or comparison condition on an individual basis; there was no assignment by group or site. Measures utilized include the Parent Behavior Checklist, the Conflict Scale of the Family Environment Scale, the Perceived Social Support from Family and Friends Scales, and the Parenting Stress Index–Short Form. Results indicate that parents participating in ACT reported statistically significant declines in the use of harsh verbal and physical discipline compared to parents in the waitlist control condition. Positive results were observable both at the conclusion of the program and at three-month follow-up. However, further analyses demonstrated that these positive effects may have been limited to those parents who completed no fewer than seven of the eight program sessions. Limitations include limited generalizability due to ethnicity and attrition.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 3 months.

Burkhart, K. M., Knox, M., & Brockmyer, J. (2013). Pilot evaluation of the ACT Raising Safe Kids Program on children’s bullying behavior. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 22(7), 942–951. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-012-9656-3

Type of Study: Pretest–posttest study with a nonequivalent control group (Quasi-experimental)
Number of Participants: 72

Population:

  • Age — Caregivers: Mean=34 years; Children: 4–10 years, (Mean=6.47 years)
  • Race/Ethnicity — Caregivers: 56% White/Caucasian, 27% African American, 10% Latino/Latina, and 8% Biracial; Children: Not specified
  • Gender — Caregivers: 64% Female and 9% Male; Children: 31 Male and 21 Female
  • Status — Participants were caregivers who were recruited from a mental health agency for children, an urban community center, and a Court of Common Pleas.

Location/Institution: Not specified

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship among parent characteristics (hostility, depression, and overall parenting skills) and child bullying and the effects of the ACT Parents Raising Safe Kids (ACT-PRSK) program [now called ACT Raising Safe Kids] on reducing early childhood bullying. Participants were assigned sequentially, first to the ACT group and then to treatment as usual (TAU). Measures utilized include the Brief Symptom Inventory, the ACT Parents Raising Safe Kids Scale, and Early Childhood Bullying Questionnaire. Results indicate that there was decreased bullying in children whose parents completed the ACT program. Furthermore, of the parent characteristics assessed, parental hostility is the only significant parent predictor for child bullying. Limitations include nonrandomization of subjects, small sample size, attrition, and reliance on self-reported measures.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.

Knox, M., Burkhart, K., & Cromly, A. (2013). Supporting positive parenting in community health centers: The ACT Raising Safe Kids program. Journal of Community Psychology, 41(4), 395–407. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.21543

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 84

Population:

  • Age — Mean=30.14 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 43% Latino/Latina, 32% African American, 16% White/Caucasian, 6% unknown, 2% biracial, and 1% American Indian
  • Gender — 94% Female
  • Status — Participants were parents of children at community health centers.

Location/Institution: Midwestern and Eastern United States

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of the ACT Raising Safe Kids program on parenting outcomes for families served by community health centers. Participants were randomized to ACT Raising Safe Kids or a control group. Measures include the Parent Behavior Checklist (PBC), the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale (CTSPC), the ACT Parenting Behaviors Questionnaire, and the Aggressive Behavior subscale of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Results indicate that ACT Raising Safe Kids completers showed improved nurturing and positive parenting behaviors and lower rates of psychologically and physically aggressive behavior toward children. These improvements occurred independent of the children’s ages and prior levels of aggressive behavior. Results indicated that neither the treatment nor the control group demonstrated improvements in improving nonviolent discipline behavior. Limitations include attrition, use of a study-developed measure, reliability on self-reported measures, and lack of follow-up.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.

Altafim, E. R. P., McCoy, D. C., & Linhares, M. B. M. (2021). Unpacking the impacts of a universal parenting program on child behavior. Child Development, 92(2), 626–637. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13491

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 143

Population:

  • Age — 19–48 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 66% White, 24% Brown, 9% Black, and 2% Asian
  • Gender — 100% Female
  • Status — Participants were adult mothers of Brazilian children ages 3–8 years.

Location/Institution: Ribeirao Preto, Brazil

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the theory of change of the ACT Raising Safe Kids parenting program, including whether intervention effects on children’s behavior problems were explained by improvements in mothers’ reported parenting practices, as well as whether baseline child behavior problems moderated these relations. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention, ACT Raising Safe Kids, or control groups. Measures include the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the parenting style and parental behavior sections of the ACT Evaluation and Instrument Guide. Results indicate that the intervention improved mothers’ perceptions of their parenting practices (positive discipline, emotional and behavioral regulation, and communication). Intervention-induced reductions in children’s internalizing and externalizing behavior problems were mediated by improvements in mothers’ emotional and behavioral regulation. Program effects were strongest for children with high levels of baseline behavior problems. Limitations include not all participants were randomized, which may have compromised the internal validity of these result; reliance on self-reported measures; and lack of follow-up.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.

Altafim, E. R. P., de Oliveira, R. C., & Linhares, M. B. M. (2021). Maternal history of childhood violence in the context of a parenting program. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 30(1), 230–242. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01868-1

Type of Study: Pretest–posttest study with a nonequivalent control group (Quasi-experimental)
Number of Participants: 125

Population:

  • Age — 19–48 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 66% White, 24% Brown, 9% Black, and 2% Asian
  • Gender — 100% Female
  • Status — Participants were adult mothers of Brazilian children ages 3–8 years.

Location/Institution: Ribeirao Preto, Brazil

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a universal parenting program [now called ACT Raising Safe Kids] of violence prevention against children to improve the parenting practices in groups of mothers differentiated by the presence or not of a history of adverse childhood experiences. The study also aimed to characterize the types of violence experienced by the participants. Participants were split into two groups based on the presence of violence in their childhood. Measures utilized include the Brazil Economic Classification Criterion, the Family ACE Questionnaire and the parenting style and parental behavior sections of the ACT Evaluation and Instrument Guide. Results indicate that the intervention improved mothers’ perceptions of their parenting practices (positive discipline, emotional and behavioral regulation, and communication). Intervention-induced reductions in children’s internalizing and externalizing behavior problems were mediated by improvements in mothers’ emotional and behavioral regulation. Program effects were strongest for children with high levels of baseline behavior problems. Limitations include exclusively mother-reported measures were used, did not examine the domestic violence experienced by mothers, use of a study developed measure, and lack of follow-up.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.

Additional References

Gershoff, E. T., Lee, S. J., & Durrant, J. E. (2017). Promising intervention strategies to reduce parents' use of physical punishment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 71, 9-23.

Pedro, M. E. A., Altafim, E. R. P., & Linhares, M. B. M. (2016). ACT Raising Safe Kids Program to promote positive maternal parenting practices in different socioeconomic contexts. Psychosocial Intervention, 26 (2), 63-72

Howe, T. R., Knox, M., Altafim, E. R. P., Linhares, M. B. M., Nishizawa, N., Fu, T. J., ... Pereira, A. I. (2017). International child abuse prevention: insights from ACT Raising Safe Kids. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 22(4), 194-200.

Contact Information

Agency/Affiliation: The Leadership Development Institute at the APA
Website: www.apa.org/act
Email:

Date Research Evidence Last Reviewed by CEBC: September 2022

Date Program Content Last Reviewed by Program Staff: October 2018

Date Program Originally Loaded onto CEBC: April 2015