Community-based parenting program for the prevention of adolescent antisocial behaviour

CRG Report Number
2299-00

Criminology Research Council grant ; (22/99-00)

As a result of parents' participation in a Group Teen Triple P program there were important significant reductions in the mean rates of risk factors known to be associated with juvenile crime and antisocial behaviour. These comprised parent-teenager conflict, lax and over-reactive discipline styles, inappropriate parental beliefs, disagreement between parents concerning child management, and parental depression, anxiety and stress. Furthermore, the resulting database provides a basis for several ongoing analyses that will:

  1. specify baseline levels of parental concerns for children aged 12 to 13
  2. identify characteristics that predict parent engagement and participation in such programs
  3. provide normative data for children aged 12 to 13 across four high-schools in different parts of Queensland that can be compared with a larger data set obtained across several school districts in Victoria
  4. enhance knowledge of the presence of risk and protective factors in these children.

These outcomes are expected to inform the further development and delivery of programs to assist parents to better manage behavioural and emotional problems in these children.