Abstract
Parenting plays a pivotal role in child and adolescent development, including antisocial and pro-social behavioral outcomes. Early family-based intervention is generally accepted as a cogent approach to the prevention and amelioration of childhood behavior problems. One such family-based intervention is a multi-level system called the Triple P—Positive Parenting Program. Triple P belongs to the broader class of evidence-based interventions which aim to empower parents with the skills and attitudes needed to optimize the social-interaction environments instrumental for reducing child behavior problems. The more unique contributions of Triple P are found in the public health-friendly structure and formats that aid in community-wide dissemination and uptake, and in the integration of self-regulatory processes throughout the intervention system. The Triple P system involves five programming levels of increasing intensity to meet various parental needs and preferences. The system further includes format variations at some of the levels, reflecting group, individual, online, and mass communication modes of program delivery. The evidence base for Triple P has grown over many years to be quite large and reflects studies conducted across the levels, formats, and variants of Triple P, in many settings, with numerous segments of the population, and in several countries. The public health strategy for parenting support, as represented by Triple P, continues to evolve and improve in ways that offer a de-stigmatized, positive approach to reduction in child and family risk of adverse adolescent outcomes including but not limited to delinquency and violence.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bodenmann, G., Cina, A., Ledermann, T., & Sanders, M. R. (2008). The efficacy of the Triple P-Positive Parenting Program in improving parenting and child behavior: A comparison with two other treatment conditions. Behavior Research and Therapy, 46, 411–427. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2008.01.001.
Bolger, K. E., & Patterson, C. J. (2003). Sequelae of child maltreatment: Vulnerability and resilience. In S. S. Luthar (Ed.), Resilience and vulnerability: Adaptation in the context of childhood adversities (pp. 156–181). doi:10.1017/CBO9780511615788.009.
Bor, W., Sanders, M. R., & Markie-Dadds, C. (2002). The effects of the Triple P-positive Parenting Program on preschool children with co-occurring disruptive behavior and attentional/hyperactive difficulties. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology: An official publication of the International Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 30, 571–587. doi:10.1023/A:1020807613155.
Broidy, L. M., Nagin, D. S., Tremblay, R. E., Bates, J. E., Brame, B., Dodge, K. A., et al. (2003). Developmental trajectories of childhood disruptive behaviors and adolescent delinquency: A six-site, cross-national study. Developmental Psychology, 39(2), 222–245. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.39.2.222.
Fives, A., Purcell, L., Heary, C., Nic Gabhainn, S., & Canavan, J. (2014). Parenting support for every parent: A population-level evaluation of Triple P in Longford Westmeath. Final report. Athlone: Longford Westmeath Parenting Partnership.
Forehand, R., Lafko, N., Parent, J., & Burt, K. B. (2014). Is parenting the mediator of change in behavioral parent training for externalizing problems of youth? Clinical Psychology Review, 34, 608–619. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2014.10.001.
Gallart, S. C., & Matthey, S. (2005). The effectiveness of Group Triple P and the impact of four telephone calls. Behavior Change, 22, 71–80. doi:10.1375/bech.2005.22.2.71.
Hahlweg, K., Heinrichs, N., Kuschel, A., Bertram, H., & Naumann, S. (2010). Long-term outcome of a randomized controlled universal prevention trial through a positive parenting program: Is it worth the effort? Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 4, 14.
Hawkins, J. D., Catalano, R. F., & Miller, J. Y. (1992). Risk and protective factors for alcohol and other drug problems in adolescence and early adulthood: Implications for substance abuse prevention. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 64–105. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.112.1.64.
Hoeve, M., Dubas, J. S., Eichelsheim, V. I., Van der Laan, P. H., Smeenk, W., & Gerris, J. R. (2009). The relationship between parenting and delinquency: A meta-analysis. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 37(6), 749–775. doi:10.1007/s10802-009-9310-8.
Lansford, J. E., Miller-Johnson, S., Berlin, L. J., Dodge, K. A., Bates, J. E., & Pettit, G. S. (2007). Early physical abuse and later violent delinquency: A prospective longitudinal study. Child Maltreatment, 12, 233–245. doi:10.1177/1077559507301841.
Leung, C., Sanders, M. R., Leung, S., Mak, R., & Lau, J. (2003). An outcome evaluation of the implementation of the Triple P-Positive Parenting Program in Hong Kong. Family Process, 42, 531–544. doi:10.1111/j.1545-5300.2003.00531.x.
Loeber, R., & Dishion, T. (1983). Early predictors of male delinquency: A review. Psychological Bulletin, 94(1), 68–99. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.94.1.68.
Matsumoto, Y., Sofronoff, K., & Sanders, M. R. (2007). The acceptability and effectiveness of the Triple P parenting program in a cross-cultural context: Results of an efficacy trial. Behavior Change, 24, 205–218. doi:10.1375/bech.24.4.205.
Miller, G. E., & Prinz, R. J. (1990). The enhancement of social learning family interventions for childhood conduct disorder. Psychological Bulletin, 108, 291–307.
Moffitt, T. E., & Caspi, A. (2001). Childhood predictors differentiate life-course persistent and adolescence-limited antisocial pathways among males and females. Development and Psychopathology, 13, 355–375.
Prinz, R. J. (2016). Parenting and family support within a broad child abuse prevention strategy. Child Abuse and Neglect, 51, 400–406. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.10.015.
Prinz, R. J., & Dumas, J. E. (2004). Prevention of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder in children and adolescents. In P. M. Barrett & T. H. Ollendick (Eds.), Handbook of interventions that work with children and adolescents: Prevention and treatment (pp. 475–488). England: Wiley.
Prinz, R. J., & Jones, T. L. (2003). Family-based interventions. In C. A. Essau (Ed.), Conduct and oppositional defiant disorders: Epidemiology, risk factors, and treatment (pp. 279–298). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Prinz, R. J., Sanders, M. R., Shapiro, C. J., Whitaker, D. J., & Lutzker, J. R. (2009). Population-based prevention of child maltreatment: The U.S. Triple P system population trial. Prevention Science, 10(1), 1–12. doi:10.1007/s11121-009-0123-3.
Prinz, R. J., Sanders, M. R., Shapiro, C. J., Whitaker, D. J., & Lutzker, J. R. (2016). Addendum to: “Population-based prevention of child maltreatment: The U.S. Triple P system population trial”. Prevention Science, 17, 410–416. doi:10.1007/s11121-016-0631-x.
Sanders, M. R. (1999). The Triple P—Positive Parenting Program: Towards an empirically validated multilevel parenting and family support strategy for the prevention of behavior and emotional problems in children. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 2, 71–90. doi:10.1023/A:1021843613840.
Sanders, M. R. (2008). The Triple P—Positive Parenting Program as a public health approach to strengthening parenting. Journal of Family Psychology, 22, 506–517. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.22.3.506.
Sanders, M. R. (2012). Development, evaluation, and multinational dissemination of the Triple P-Positive Parenting Program. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 8, 345–379. doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032511-143104.
Sanders, M. R., Bor, W., & Morawska, A. (2007). Maintenance of treatment gains: A comparison of enhanced, standard, and self-directed triple P-positive parenting program. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology: An official publication of the International Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 35, 983–998. doi:10.1007/s10802-007-9148-x.
Sanders, M. R., Kirby, J. N., Tellegen, C. L., & Day, J. J. (2014). The Triple P—Positive Parenting Program: A systematic review and meta-analysis of a multi-level system of parenting support. Clinical Psychology Review, 34, 337–357. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2014.04.003.
Sanders, M. R., Markie-Dadds, C., Tully, L. A., & Bor, W. (2000). The Triple P-Positive Parenting Program: A comparison of enhanced, standard, and self-directed behavioral family intervention for parents of children with early onset conduct problems. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 624–640. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.68.4.624.
Sanders, M. R., & Mazzucchelli, T. G. (2013). The promotion of self-regulation through parenting interventions. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 16, 1–17. doi:10.1007/s10567-013-0129-z.
Sanders, M. R., Pidgeon, A. M., Gravestock, F., Connors, M. D., Brown, S., & Young, R. W. (2004). Does parental attributional retraining and anger management enhance the effects of the Triple P-Positive Parenting Program with parents at risk of child maltreatment? Behavior Therapy, 35(3), 513–535. doi:10.1016/S0005-7894(04)80030-3.
Sanders, M. R., Ralph, A., Sofronoff, K., Gardiner, P., Thompson, R., Dwyer, S., et al. (2008). Every family: A population approach to reducing behavioral and emotional problems in children making the transition to school. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 29(3), 197–222. doi:10.1007/s10935-008-0139-7.
Sumner, S. A., Mercy, J. A., Dahlberg, L. L., et al. (2015). Violence in the United States: Status, challenges, and opportunities. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 314, 478–488. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.8371.
Theodore, A. D., Chang, J. J., Runyan, D. K., Hunter, W. M., Bangdiwala, S. I., & Agans, R. (2005). Epidemiologic features of the physical and sexual maltreatment of children in the Carolinas. Pediatrics, 115, e331–e337. doi:10.1542/peds.
Turner, K. M. T., Richards, M., & Sanders, M. R. (2007). A randomised clinical trial of a group parent education program for Australian indigenous families. Journal of Paediatric Child Health, 43, 429–437. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1754.2007.01053.x.
Zubrick, S. R., Ward, K. A., Silburn, S. R., et al. (2005). Prevention of child behavior problems through universal implementation of a group behavioral family intervention. Prevention Science, 6, 287–304. doi:10.1007/s11121-005-0013-2.
Disclosure Statement
Prinz has served as a consultant to Triple P International, the entity licensed by the University of Queensland to disseminate Triple P. Neger has no competing interests to declare.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Prinz, R.J., Neger, E.N. (2017). Risk Reduction via a Community-Wide Approach to Parenting and Family Support. In: Teasdale, B., Bradley, M. (eds) Preventing Crime and Violence. Advances in Prevention Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44124-5_18
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44124-5_18
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-44122-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-44124-5
eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)