Strengthening Families to Prevent Child Neglect and Abuse With Community Based Protective Approaches: Culturally Appropriate Program Development and Educational Design

The American Center for Social Policy Studies (CSSP) Center for Quality Improvement in Early Childhood (QIC_EC) defined protective factors that will form the basis of programs designed to prevent neglect and abuse, with community-based approaches. Community-based programs for primary prevention should be developed to prevent neglect and abuse, before it occurs. Existing studies in our country show that there is rarely a focus on preventing adverse childhood experiences with primary preventive approaches. Most of the studies are school-based, and aimed at increasing awareness of children and families about abuse.

This study aimed to evaluate the Turkish translation of the PAPF survey for validity and reliability and to adapt a culturally appropriate program and educational design for strengthening families, with a multidisciplinary team.

In the first step of the study, Turkish validity and reliability of the Parents Assessment of Protective Factors (PAPF) survey, will be conducted and applied to parents to determinate the protective factors. Turkish version of Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire (ACE), will be applied simultaneously with the PAPF survey, to identify adverse childhood experiences of parents that might affect parental resilience, parenting characteristics, and family dynamics.

In the second phase of the study, community-based family education programs that are currently being implemented in different countries will be reviewed by a multidisciplinary team (healthcare professionals, social workers and non-governmental organizations). A culturally appropriate educational primary prevention program for child neglect and abuse will be developed.