Harsh Parenting and Violence Against Children: A Trial with Ultrapoor Families in Francophone West Africa

Abstract

Few culturally congruent interventions are available to reduce abusive practices in families living in abject poverty in francophone West Africa. This study tests the effects of economic intervention—alone and in combination with a family-focused component—on parenting outcomes and children’s reports of violence in rural Burkina Faso. Female caregivers and their 10- to 15-year-old children from 360 ultrapoor families were recruited to participate in a parallel cluster randomized control trial with 3 study arms: the waitlist (control) group, the economic intervention group (Trickle Up [TU]), and the economic intervention plus family coaching group (TU+). Effects were tested using repeated-measures mixed-effects regressions. At 12 months from baseline, caregivers from the TU+ group reported a reduced use of harsh discipline compared to the control group (Cohen’s d = –0.57, p = .001) and the TU group (d = –0.48, p = .001). Changes were maintained at 24 months. TU+ caregivers also expressed more supportive parenting attitudes at 12 months compared to the control group (d = 0.39, p = .022) and the TU group (d = 0.55, p = .001). Compared to TU caregivers, caregivers in the TU+ group also reported a better quality of child–parent relationship (d = 0.40, p = .041). At 24 months, children in the TU+ group had lower odds of experiencing physical (odds ratio = 0.35, p = .050), 95% confidence interval [0.12, 1.00], and emotional (odds ratio = 0.52, p = .033), 95% confidence interval [0.28, 0.95], violence at home, compared to the control group children. The evidence suggests that involving all family members in sessions on child protection in addition to economic strengthening strategies can foster supportive parenting environments and reduce family violence among children living in ultralevel poverty in West Africa.

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the staff and volunteers who participated in the intervention implementation and data collection process: Jo Sanson, Rachel Nanema, Alexice Tô, and Juliette Finetti from Trickle Up offices in Burkina Faso and New York, USA, and Traoré Marie-Renée from Aide aux Enfants et aux Familles Démunies. We acknowledge the support and guidance of the local Community Collaborative Board and from members of the Child Protection in Crisis Learning Network, including Algassimou Diallo, Mark Canavera, Dr. Fred M. Ssewamala, and Dr. Lindsay Stark. The individuals referenced in this Acknowledgments section have no conflicts of interest. Our special thanks and best hopes for the future go to all the children and families who agreed to participate in this study.

Additional information

Funding

The study was funded by the Children and Violence Evaluation Challenge Fund, a joint initiative funded by the Bernard van Leer Foundation, the Oak Foundation, the UBS Optimus Foundation, and an anonymous donor; hosted by the Network of European Foundations; and cofunded by the Child Protection Working Group (The United Nations Children’s Fund/UNICEF). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the funding sponsors.