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Supporting Families: Preventing Child
Abuse
Most parents share a desire to provide the best for their
children. But raising healthy, confident children can be difficult,
especially when parents are frustrated, inexperienced, have serious
mental health problems, or are facing stressful conditions such as
relationship difficulties or financial crises.
Why Support for
Families Is Critical
Research has shown that parents and other caretakers who have
resources and support are more likely to provide safe and healthy
homes for their children. Specifically, parents need a network of
supportive personal relationships and other resources for coping
with stress, knowledge and understanding of critical child
development issues, and financial and other concrete supports such
as shelter, food, and childcare. A lack of these critical supports,
on the other hand, can cause otherwise well-intentioned parents to
make poor decisions that can lead to neglect or abuse. As we learn
more about why child abuse and neglect occur, more organizations,
agencies, and tribal communities are recognizing the best way to
promote prevention is to provide parents with the skills and
resources they need to understand and meet their children's
emotional, physical, and developmental needs and protect their
children from harm.
How Support for
Families Can Help
Parenting is one of the toughest and most important jobs in America,
and we all have a stake in ensuring that parents have access to the
tools and support they need to be successful. With the help of
family support activities, many families are able to find the
strength and resources they need to raise safe, healthy, and
productive children. For example, local schools or family service
centers can provide a place for parents to gather, socialize, and
learn more about their children's growth and development. Faith
communities offer parents additional opportunities for friendship
and support. Pediatricians help parents by responding to questions,
concerns, or frustrations about their children's behavior. Family
support programs such as parent education, home visitation, respite
care, and support groups help parents develop parenting skills,
understand the benefits of positive discipline techniques, and meet
their children's needs. Family support programs also offer
assistance with other significant challenges facing caretakers, such
as adequate housing and affordable childcare.
Through these and other family support activities, parents
develop resources, knowledge, and skills to:
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Understand what
is typical behavior for children at different ages
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Identify,
respond to, and advocate for their children's needs
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Communicate
calmly and clearly with children
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Set clear and
realistic boundaries for children
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Correct and
redirect children without losing control
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Handle stress
in positive ways, including reaching out to friends, family, and
community resources for support
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Develop
positive bonds with their children and enjoy spending time
together
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Have confidence
in their own abilities as parents*
* Adapted from FRIENDS National
Resource Center for CBFRS Programs, Outcome Accountability
Initiative Field Test: Phase I Final Report, Attachment I: Sample
"Common" Outcome Evaluation Tool. For more information, go to
www.friendsnrc.org
The above is an excerpt from
Safe Children and Healthy Families Are a Shared Responsibility:
2006 Community Resource Packet
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