13-01-2016 | Empirical Research
Effectiveness of Parent–Child Mediation in Improving Family Functioning and Reducing Adolescent Problem Behavior: Results from a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Youth and Adolescence | Uitgave 3/2017
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Parent–child mediation programs are intended to resolve or manage disputes and improve family functioning, but rigorous evaluations of their effectiveness are lacking. Families referred to a community-based mediation program (N = 111) were randomized to an intervention or wait-list control group, and completed three surveys over a 12-week period. With the exception of parent–reported child delinquency (which decreased more in the intervention group), this evaluation provides little support for the short-term effectiveness of parent–child mediation for improving family functioning and reducing child problem behaviors in general. Given that this is the first randomized controlled trial of a parent–child mediation program, additional evaluations involving larger samples and longer follow-ups are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness of this intervention.