Abstract
In response to a gap in gender-sensitive programming for young aggressive girls (5–11) and their families, the SNAP® Girls Connection (GC) was developed in 1996. This multi-systemic intervention is built on a developmental model of risk and protective factors within the girl and her relationships. We evaluated the SNAP® GC using a prospective quasi-experimental design, randomly assigning 80 girls to treatment (N = 45) and waiting-list groups (N = 35) over 2 years. Fifty-five parents completed measures at assessment periods 1, 2 and 3. Results showed significant positive changes on girls’ problem behavior and parenting skills for the treatment versus the waiting-list groups, as well as maintenance of treatment gains. Implications of the findings on treatment effectiveness of this gender-sensitive intervention are discussed.
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Notes
Girls Growing Up Healthy, a mother-daughter component of the program that most specifically focuses on positive attachment, is offered after the SNAP group course has been completed and when the girl has reached the age of 9.
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Acknowledgement
We are indebted to the girls and their families who participated in this study and recognize the extra efforts that they put forth to help us better understand how to help other families such as themselves. We are also grateful to the clinicians who support girls and their families on a daily basis through the SNAP® GC. Their clinical efforts are reflected, in part, through the evaluation data, but we recognize that they do so much to understand and support the girls and their families. We are also indebted to The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation and the Trillium Foundation who provided innovation funding for this project.
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Pepler, D., Walsh, M., Yuile, A. et al. Bridging the Gender Gap: Interventions with Aggressive Girls and Their Parents. Prev Sci 11, 229–238 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-009-0167-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-009-0167-4