The effectiveness of parenting interventions in reducing violence against children in humanitarian settings in low- and middle-income countries A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Violence against children is a global phenomenon, yet children living in humanitarian settings are at elevated risk of experiencing violent parenting. Parenting interventions are a recommended prevention strategy. 

Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of parenting interventions in preventing violence against children and related parent and child outcomes. Participants and Setting: Primary caregivers in humanitarian settings in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). 

Methods: A highly sensitive multi-language systematic search in electronic and grey-literature database. Studies were appraised for risk of bias, summary effects by certainty of effect, and effect estimates pooled using robust variance estimation. 

Results: Twenty-three randomized trials were meta-analyzed finding a small effect on physical and psychological violence (n = 14, k = 21, d = −0.36, 95 % CI [−0.69, −0.04]), positive parenting (n = 16, k = 43, d = 0.48, 95 % CI [0.29, 0.67]), negative parenting (n = 17, k = 37, d = −0.42, 95 % CI [−0.67, −0.16]), parental poor mental health (n = 9, k = 15, d = −0.34, 95 % CI [−0.66, −0.02]), and internalizing behaviors (n = 11, k = 29, d = −0.38, 95 % CI [−0.70, −0.05]); a non-significant effect on externalizing child behaviors (n = 9, k = 17, d = −0.12, 95 % CI [−0.50, 0.27]). Too few studies reported intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and parenting stress outcomes.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that parenting interventions in humanitarian settings in LMICs may be an effective strategy to reduce physical and psychological violence, and numerous related parent and child outcomes. However, findings need to be interpreted in light of the limited number of available studies and imprecise statistical significance for selected outcomes.