Early Parent Training to Prevent Disruptive Behavior Problems and Delinquency in Children

Abstract

Early forms of disruptive behaviors in children often leading to juvenile delinquency are associated with poor parenting skills. Thus early intervention programs targeting parenting skills may have an important impact on disruptive behaviors in children. The objective of this review was to assess the impact of early parenting and home visitation programs on behavior problems and delinquency in children. Selected trials were identified using electronic databases and relevant reviews. The following selection criteria were used: (1) the intervention involved the provision of parent training to families with a child under age 3, and (2) the design was a randomized or quasi-experimental trial. Overall, of the seven trials identified, only three reported some beneficial effects on disruptive behavior or delinquency. Due to the limited number of adequately designed studies, caution is recommended in the interpretation of available results. Numerous well-designed early prevention experiments specifically targeting disruptive behaviors and delinquency should be initiated.