The Effectiveness of a Parenting Skills Program for Parents of Middle School Students in Small Communities

This study provides evidence of the effectiveness of behaviorally based parenting skills classes provided by carefully trained and supervised group leaders who were not mental health clinicians. A program for parents of at-risk middle school students was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial in 8 small Oregon communities. Parents ( N = 303) were randomly assigned to immediate treatment or a wait-list condition. Data were analyzed using latent growth modeling. Participation in the program led to significant improvements in problem-solving interactions as indicated by parent reports and a Taped Situations Test. Parents' overreactivity and laxness toward their children's behavior were reduced and their feelings toward their children improved significantly as a function of treatment. Parent-reported child antisocial behavior was also reduced.