The impact of SafeCare® Dads to Kids program on father maltreatment risk and involvement: Outcomes and lessons learned from an efficacy trial

• Published in: Child abuse & neglect 2018-09, Vol.83, p.31-41
• Main Authors: Self-Brown, Shannon, Osborne, Melissa C., Boyd, Clinton, DeVeausse Brown, Natasha, Rostad, Whitney, Patterson, Alexandria, Baker, Evander, Thomas, Akilah, McAdam, Elizabeth M., Jackson, Matt, Glasheen, Theresa L., Lai, Betty
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Behavior change; Caregivers; Child Abuse; Child abuse & neglect; Child Rearing; Childrearing practices; Children; Confidence intervals; Corporal punishment; Data; Data collection; Educational programs; Efficacy; Experts; Family roles; Father; Fathers; Health problems; Intervention; Interviews; Marginality; Neglect; Parent training; Parenthood education; Parents & parenting; Perpetrators; Physical abuse; Prevention; Prevention programs; Public health; Punishment; Semi Structured Interviews
• ISSN: 0145-2134; 1873-7757
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.06.014

Child Maltreatment (CM) is a public health problem, and experts recommend parent training programs as a prevention method. Few programs target fathers, even though male caregivers are involved as perpetrators in approximately 45% of substantiated CM cases. This study examines the efficacy of an adapted version of SafeCare (Dad2K) with marginalized fathers. Participants include a convenience sample of fathers with children ages 2–5 years. Fathers (n=99) were randomized to an 1) intervention group (SafeCare Dad2K) or to a 2) comparison group (receiving parenting information in the mail). Quantitative data were collected at baseline, post-intervention (7-weeks post-baseline), and 3-months post-intervention. Qualitative data (semi-structured interviews) were collected from 11 intervention father completers following the second quantitative data collection timepoint. Multi-level modeling results indicated no statistically significant time-by-treatment findings for father involvement (b=0.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.03, 0.08, p=0.38), total corporal punishment (b=-0.03, 95% CI: −0.47, 0.41, p=0.89), or neglect (b=-0.13, 95% CI: −1.93, 1.68, p=0.89). Qualitative findings indicated that Dad2K completers exhibited positive knowledge and behavioral change related to parenting. Study limitations, lessons learned from this formative work, and recommendations for future research are discussed.