Poster Paper:
The Impact of Parenting Education on the Parent-Child Relationship of Domestic Violence Survivors
Friday, March 9, 2018
Burkle Lobby, First Floor (Burkle Family Building at Claremont Graduate University)
*Names in bold indicate Presenter
Veronica Valencia Gonzalez, University of California, Irvine
Domestic violence (DV) has a negative impact on more people than just the direct target of the violence. Previous research indicates that those individuals exposed to DV have poorer parenting skills than parents not exposed to DV. Furthermore, several studies have demonstrated that the parent-child relationships of DV victims and their children are negatively impacted by DV. This project assesses the impact of a parenting education program created specifically for DV survivors. Participants in the study were DV survivors who were offered the Parents Creating Change (PCC) parenting education program while seeking services at the Orange County Family Justice Center. The Orange County Family Justice Center (OCFJC) is located in the city of Anaheim and it is a one-stop location which offers referrals and services to victims of DV, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, and dependent adult abuse. The OCFJC works with partner agencies in the community to offer: victim advocacy, counseling, legal assistance, social service referrals, shelter referrals, educational programing, and more. The PCC program is one such service provided through the OCFJC.
The 15-week PCC is a no-cost 15-session parenting education program which meets weekly and covers topics including communication, age-appropriate rule implementation, positive and negative consequence for rule breaking, anger-management, and self-esteem. Data was collected using pre- and post-surveys to assess parenting skills in five areas as well as the parent-child relationship.The surveys were completed by both program participants and one of their children aged 8-17 years old. Additionally, a supplementary questionnaire was also completed by PCC program graduates upon program completion. Qualitative data was also collected using observations during the weekly 2-hour class sessions. The preliminary results indicate that the PCC program had a small to moderate positive impact on the participants’ perceived parenting efficacy, parenting skills and the parent-child relationship. Participants also noted the PCC allowed them the opportunity to increase their social support network by introducing them to other parents facing similar situations.
