What works to reduce violence against children and women in the home?
What the evidence tells us
Insights from social and behavioural change (SBC) approaches can increase the effectiveness of parenting programmes and contribute to the prevention of violence against women and children. An SBC-informed parenting programme encourages sustained changes in behaviours among parents and caregivers. While parenting programmes can focus on many different outcomes, this article is based on the results of a rapid evidence assessment on SBC-informed programmes that aim to prevent violence against children and intimate partners at home, including stopping the use of harsh disciplinary methods.
What does the evidence suggest?
- Parenting programmes informed by SBC strategies can be effective in reducing violence by caregivers against children in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs), provided that the programmes are implemented by well-trained facilitators.
- Intimate partner violence can also be reduced through SBC-informed parenting programmes.
- SBC-informed parenting programmes may be transferable to different contexts, populations, and settings in LMICs, including humanitarian settings and for parents of children of various ages. Using local resources and personnel can help keep programme costs low. Implementation in new settings, however, should be accompanied by quality monitoring and evaluation.
Note: The findings presented in this rapid evidence assessment by UNICEF Innocenti on the effectiveness of SBC-informed parenting programmes are consistent with international recommendations on interventions to reduce violence against children and improve parenting practices.1,2,3 This work is a contribution to the evidence brief series by UNICEF Innocenti, Prevention Collaborative and Equimundo on how parenting programmes can reduce violence against children and violence against women.4
Recommendations for policy and practice
"Apply the latest behavioural science evidence and social and cultural insights to improve the functioning and effectiveness of parenting programmes."
"Review existing research on gender norms and violence against children and women in each context to identify the key risk factors, norms, and skills to address in specific programmes. Well-designed gender-transformative parenting programmes have the potential to address both violent discipline of children and intimate partner violence against women in coordinated ways. "
"Engage local policymakers, strategic planners, and community leaders from the beginning to promote their buy-in and foster collaboration. Keep them informed throughout to leverage their expertise and gain support for sustaining parenting programmes."
"Complement programming designed to build caregivers’ skills to provide nurturing care with community engagement initiatives that challenge harmful social and gender norms that condone and legitimise violence."
References
1. Thota, A., Gennari, F., Igbelina, D., Page, S., Bakrania, S. Kolbe-Stuart, C., Hickler, B., Guedes, A., Zelkowitz, A., Ward, C., & Evans, D. What works to reduce violence against women and children in the home in low- and middle-income countries? A review of parenting programmes informed by social and behaviour change strategies. UNICEF Innocenti, Florence, 2023, https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/reports/what-works-reduce-violence-against-children-and-women.
2. Bakrania, S. Methodological Briefs on Evidence Synthesis: Brief 3 – Developing and designing an evidence synthesis product, UNICEF Innocenti, Florence, 2020, https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/documents/methodological-briefs-evidence-synthesis.
3. WHO guidelines on parenting interventions to prevent maltreatment and enhance parent–child relationships with children aged 0–17 years. World Health Organization, Geneva, 2023, https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240065505.
4. UNICEF Innocenti, Prevention Collaborative and Equimundo, Parenting Programmes to Reduce Violence against Children and Women - Evidence Brief Series, UNICEF Innocenti, Florence, 2023, https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/reports/parenting-programmes-reduce-violence-against-children-and-women