Parenting Wisely

About This Program

Target Population: Families with children at risk for or with: behavior problems, substance abuse problems, or delinquency

For children/adolescents ages: 10 – 18

For parents/caregivers of children ages: 10 – 18

Program Overview

Parenting Wisely is a self-administered, highly interactive computer-based program that teaches parents and children, ages 10-18, skills to improve their relationships and decrease conflict through support and behavior management. The program utilizes a DVD for group administration or an interactive online program for individual administration with ten video scenarios depicting common challenges with adolescents. Parents are provided the choice of three solutions to these challenges and are able to view the scenarios enacted, while receiving feedback about each choice. Parents are quizzed periodically throughout the program and receive feedback. The program operates as a supportive tutor pointing out typical errors parents make and highlighting new skills that will help them resolve problems. Computer experience or literacy is not required. Parents and children can use the program together as a family intervention. The Parenting Wisely program uses a risk-focused approach to reduce family conflict and child behavior problems and improve the quality of parent-child relationships. Note: There is a Young Child version of the program for parents of 3-10 year old children that has not been reviewed or rated by the CEBC.

Program Goals

The goals of Parenting Wisely are:

  • Reduction in child problem behavior
  • Improvement in family relationships
  • Decrease in teen and maternal depression
  • Reduction in preteen and teen drug and alcohol abuse
  • Reduction in preteen and teen violent behavior
  • Improvements in parenting self-efficacy and parenting satisfaction
  • Improvements in parenting knowledge
  • Reduction in use of physical punishment
  • Improvement in frequency of family activities and meetings
  • Reduction in juvenile recidivism

Logic Model

The program representative did not provide information about a Logic Model for Parenting Wisely.

Essential Components

The essential components of Parenting Wisely include:

  • Parenting Wisely is a versatile program and can be used in a variety of locations.
  • The online training program can be completed in one to four sessions. Repeated use of programs by parents and adolescents can increase effectiveness.
  • The program covers topics such as:
    • Communication skills
    • Problem-solving skills
    • Increasing parental supervision and discipline of their child
    • Effective discipline
    • Speaking respectfully
    • Chore compliance
    • Peer pressure
    • Step-parenting issues
    • Mindful parenting
    • Information on brain science

Program Delivery

Child/Adolescent Services

Parenting Wisely directly provides services to children/adolescents and addresses the following:

  • Conduct disorder, oppositional-defiant disorder, hyperactivity, peer problems, substance abuse, and depression.

Parent/Caregiver Services

Parenting Wisely directly provides services to parents/caregivers and addresses the following:

  • Child behavior problems (acting out, disruptive behavior, internalizing problems, hyperactivity, peer relationship problems), parent or child substance abuse, child abuse and neglect, parental depression.

Recommended Intensity:

The program takes 3-5 hours to complete and should be viewed twice in a six-month period.

Recommended Duration:

Program should be completed within a four-week period. For group administration, the program can be completed in 5-10 group sessions.

Delivery Settings

This program is typically conducted in a(n):

  • Adoptive Home
  • Birth Family Home
  • Foster / Kinship Care
  • Hospital
  • Outpatient Clinic
  • Community-based Agency / Organization / Provider
  • Group or Residential Care
  • School Setting (Including: Day Care, Day Treatment Programs, etc.)

Homework

Parenting Wisely includes a homework component:

Parents complete exercises in a workbook. The workbook contains skill-building exercises in communication, discipline, contracting and point systems, and support. When parents participate in the group format, homework assignments from the workbook are given.

Languages

Parenting Wisely has materials available in languages other than English:

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:

  • Desktop and laptop computers, mobile devices for the online program
  • Small private room
  • Receptionist or practitioner to introduce family to program

For group administration:

  • LCD projector
  • Screen
  • Room to hold 10-16 people

Manuals and Training

Prerequisite/Minimum Provider Qualifications

None.

Manual Information

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

Training Information

There is training available for this program.

Training Contact:
Training Type/Location:

Provided onsite, in person, or via webinar

Number of days/hours:

1-2 days, 7-14 hours

Additional Resources:

There currently are additional qualified resources for training:

Implementation Information

Pre-Implementation Materials

There are pre-implementation materials to measure organizational or provider readiness for Parenting Wisely as listed below:

Dr. Gordon can provide a pre-implementation checklist used with juvenile justice systems.

Formal Support for Implementation

There is formal support available for implementation of Parenting Wisely as listed below:

Dr. Gordon provides this support, as well as his colleague, Robert Pushak.

Fidelity Measures

There are fidelity measures for Parenting Wisely as listed below:

A fidelity measure is available from Dr. Gordon.

Implementation Guides or Manuals

There are implementation guides or manuals for Parenting Wisely as listed below:

A Service Provider's Manual is available for purchase at www.familyworksinc.com.

Research on How to Implement the Program

Research has been conducted on how to implement Parenting Wisely as listed below:

Segal, D., Chen, P. Y., Gordon, D. A., Kacir, C. Y., & Gylys, J. (2003). Development and evaluation of a parenting intervention program: Integration of scientific and practical approaches. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 15, 453- 468.

Cotter, K. L., Bacallao, M., Smokowski P.R., & Robertson, C. I. B. (2013). Parenting interventions implementation science: How delivery format impacts the Parenting Wisely Program. Research on Social Work Practice, 23(6), 639-650. doi:1049731513490811.

Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research

Child Welfare Outcome: Child/Family Well-Being

Kacir, C., & Gordon, D. A. (1999). Parenting Adolescents Wisely: The effectiveness of an interactive videodisk parent training program in Appalachia. Child and Family Behavior Therapy, 21(4), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1300/J019v21n04_01

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 38 Mothers

Population:

  • Age — Mean=40 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 100% Caucasian
  • Gender — 100% Female
  • Status — Participants were mothers recruited by direct mail or through public schools.

Location/Institution: Southeastern Ohio

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of Parenting Adolescents Wisely (PAW) [now called Parenting Wisely], a brief interactive laserdisc parent training program, in rural Appalachia. Participants were randomly assigned to PAW or to a control group that received no intervention. Measures utilized include the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, the Parent Behavior Questionnaire, and the Parenting Knowledge Test. Results indicate that, at the postintervention assessments, the children’s behavior measures were better for the PAW families than for the control families. No significant difference was found for the Parent Behavior Questionnaire, but PAW parents scored higher on the Parenting Knowledge Test one month after completion of the intervention. Limitations include the small sample size, reliance on self-report measures, and the use of unstandardized measures.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 1 month and between 3 and 5 months.

O'Neill, H., & Woodward, R. (2002). Evaluation of the Parenting Wisely CD-ROM parent training programme: An Irish replication. Irish Journal of Psychology, 23(1), 62–72.

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 15 families

Population:

  • Age — Not specified
  • Race/Ethnicity — Not specified
  • Gender — Not specified
  • Status — Participants were parents of children 9–18 years old who were referred to a psychology service for child behavior problems.

Location/Institution: Ireland

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of Parenting Wisely, a relatively new interactive CD-ROM parent-training program, in terms of reducing behavior problems in children and increasing parents’ knowledge and use of effective parenting skills. Participants were randomly assigned to early treatment or delayed treatment groups of Parenting Wisely. Measures utilized include the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI), the Parent Behavior Questionnaire (PBQ), and the Parent Knowledge Test (PKT). Results indicate that Parenting Wisely had positive treatment effects on reported child behaviors. Scores on the PBQ showed significant improvement over baseline at both 2 and 4 weeks. Scores on the PKT showed significant improvement at two weeks. Limitations include the small sample size and lack of established psychometrics for the PBQ and PKT.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 2 and 4 weeks.

Segal, D., Chen, P. Y., Gordon, D. A., Kacir, C. D., & Gylys, J. (2003). Development and evaluation of a parenting intervention program: Integration of scientific and practical approaches. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 15(3), 453–467. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327590IJHC1503_09

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 42 parents

Population:

  • Age — Mean=42 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — Not specified
  • Gender — 90% Female
  • Status — Participants were parents with children 11–18 years old who were recruited through community and outpatient mental health clinics.

Location/Institution: Not specified

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of two formats of the Parenting Wisely program: a noninteractive video (NV) or an interactive multimedia (IM) version. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either the noninteractive video version or the interactive multimedia version of the Parenting Wisely program. Measures utilized include the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI), the Parent Daily Report (PDR), the Daily Discipline Interview (DDI), and the Parent Behavior Questionnaire (PBQ). Results indicate that there was no significant difference in overall outcomes between the NV and IM intervention groups. Both groups showed improved scores on the ECBI, PBQ, PKT, and on parent responses to negative behaviors on the PDR. Improvements in children’s problem behaviors were clinically significant for 33% to 48% of the children whose parents used the program. Limitations include the small sample size and lack of a no-treatment control group that would help determine if the improvements were due to attention or the passage of time.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 3 weeks.

Cefai, J., Smith, D., & Pushak, R. E. (2010). Parenting Wisely: Parent training via CD-ROM with an Australian sample. Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 32, 17–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/07317100903539709

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 116

Population:

  • Age — Adults: 24–55 years; Children: 9–15 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — Families: 76 Australian, 14 Italian, and 9 Maltese
  • Gender — Adults: 92 Female and 24 Male; Children: 57 Female and 59 Male
  • Status — Participants were one parent and one child from families with children with disruptive behaviors.

Location/Institution: Australia

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to address the effectiveness of the Parenting Wisely program on improving parenting knowledge, parental sense of competence, and child behavior, as well as the impact of a group versus individual treatment format. Participants were randomly assigned to either a two-session group-based intervention, a two-session individual intervention, or to a waitlist control group. Measures utilized include the Parenting Sense of Competence (PSOC), the Eyberg Child Behaviour Inventory (ECBI), and the Parenting Knowledge Questionnaire (PKQ). Results indicate that there was a significant increase in parental satisfaction, efficacy, and parenting knowledge and a reduction in child problem behavior for both the group and individual formats of the Parenting Wisely program. Limitations include the significant differences between the groups at baseline on the child behavior measures, indicating that the randomization process may have been flawed.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 3 months.

Cotter, K. L., Bacallao, M., Smokowski, P. R., & Robertson, C. I. B. (2013). Parenting interventions implementation science: How delivery format impacts the Parenting Wisely program. Research on Social Work Practice, 23(6), 639–650. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731513490811

Type of Study: Pretest–posttest study with a nonequivalent control group (Quasi-experimental)
Number of Participants: 144

Population:

  • Age — Mean=40 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 53% Native American, 27% African American, 10% Hispanic, 8% White, and 2% Multiracial
  • Gender — 78% Female
  • Status — Participants were parents residing in a low-income, rural county who had an adolescent between the ages of 11 and 15.

Location/Institution: Southeastern United States

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to examine the implementation and effectiveness of Parenting Wisely, an internet-based parenting skills intervention, including whether parents benefit from Parenting Wisely participation and whether the delivery format influences program effectiveness. Participants were assigned to one of four formats based on their preference and availability: a parents-only intensive workshop, parents-only 5-week group, parent and adolescent 5-week group, or parent and adolescent online format. Measures utilized include the McMaster Family Assessment Device, the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, the Parenting Self-efficacy Scale, the Conflict Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ), the Consumer Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ), the NC-ACE Violent Behavior Checklist, and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Results indicate that there is an association between Parenting Wisely participation and improvements in family problem solving, family roles, family involvement, parenting self-efficacy, parenting sense of competence, and decreased adolescent violent behavior, with program effects varying by delivery format and outcome. In general, group delivery over 5 weeks was more effective than either online delivery or delivery via a group workshop. Limitations include the nonrandom assignment of participants, possible selection bias, the lack of postintervention follow-up, and the small sample size.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.

Stalker , K. C., Rose, R. A., Bacallao, M., & Smokowski, P. R. (2018). Parenting Wisely six months later: How implementation delivery impacts program effects at follow-up. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 39(2), 129–153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-017-0495-2

Type of Study: Pretest–posttest study with a nonequivalent control group (Quasi-experimental)
Number of Participants: 364

Population:

  • Age — Not specified
  • Race/Ethnicity — 42% African American, 39% American Indian, 9% Hispanic, 6% White, 3% Multiracial, and 1% Other
  • Gender — 80% Female
  • Status — Participants were parents residing in a low-income, rural county who were experiencing problem behavior in their adolescent children between the ages of 11 and 15.

Location/Institution: North Carolina

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of Parenting Wisely on family functioning, parenting, and adolescent behavior six months postintervention and assess differences based on delivery format. Participants were allowed to choose one of the five formats of Parenting Wisely: a parents-only intensive workshop, parents-only 5-week group, parents and adolescents 5-week group, parent and adolescent online, and parent-only online. Measures utilized include the McMaster Family Assessment Device, the NC-ACE Violent Behavior Checklist, and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Results indicate that parents who participated in Parenting Wisely reported increases in confidence in their parenting skills, decreases in conflicts with their adolescents, and decreases in adolescent externalizing and violent behavior relative to the comparison group at 6-month follow-up. Parenting Wisely effectiveness did not vary substantially by delivery format, except for the intensive workshop format, which was less effective than other formats. Limitations include the nonrandom assignment of participants, possible selection bias, concerns about generalizability due to the narrow population studied, and the reliance on parent reports of adolescent behavior.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 6 months.

Additional References

Kacir, C., & Gordon, D. A. (1997). Interactive videodisk parent training for parents of difficult pre-teens. Child and Family Behavior Therapy, 21(4), 1-22.

Lagges, A., & Gordon, D. A. (1997). Interactive videodisk parent training for teen mothers. Child and Family Behavior Therapy, 21(1), 19-37.

Segal D., Chen, P. Y., Gordon, D. A., Kacir, C. Y., & Gylys, J. (2003). Development and evaluation of a parenting intervention program: Integration of scientific and practical approaches. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 15, 453-468.

Contact Information

Don Gordon, PhD, CEO
Title: Professor Emeritus
Agency/Affiliation: Ohio University and Family Works, Inc.
Website: www.familyworksinc.com
Email:
Phone: (541) 778-6106
Fax: (740) 594-2521

Date Research Evidence Last Reviewed by CEBC: November 2023

Date Program Content Last Reviewed by Program Staff: May 2018

Date Program Originally Loaded onto CEBC: June 2006