Enhancing parenting skills among nonresident African American fathers as a strategy for preventing youth risky behaviors.
This study evaluated the effectiveness of a theoretically based, culturally specific family intervention designed to prevent youth risky behaviors by influencing the parenting attitudes and behaviors of nonresident African American fathers and the parent-child interactions, intentions to avoid violence, and aggressive behaviors of their preadolescent sons. A sample of 158 intervention and 129 comparison group families participated. ANCOVA results indicated that the intervention was promising for enhancing parental monitoring, communication about sex, intentions to communicate, race-related socialization practices, and parenting skills satisfaction among fathers. The intervention was also beneficial for sons who reported more monitoring by their fathers, improved communication about sex, and increased intentions to avoid violence. The intervention was not effective in reducing aggressive behaviors among sons. Findings are discussed from a family support perspective, including the need to involve nonresident African American fathers in youth risky behavior prevention efforts.
Caldwell
Cleopatra Howard
CH
School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 109 Observatory Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA. cleoc@umich.edu
Rafferty
Jane
J
Reischl
Thomas M
TM
De Loney
E Hill
EH
Brooks
Cassandra L
CL
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016487:Parenting / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior