title: Evaluation of the Responsible, Engaged, and Loving (REAL) Fathers Initiative on Physical Child Punishment and Intimate Partner Violence in Northern Uganda.
abstract: Violence against women and violence against children in Uganda are recognized as significant public health concerns. Exposure to violence at home as a child can increase the likelihood of perpetrating or experiencing violence later in life. These two forms of violence share similar risk factors and often, but not always, co-occur at the household level. Parenting programs have shown promise in reducing physical child punishment. Targeting men has also been proven effective in transforming attitudes related to gender roles and expectations and intimate partner violence (IPV) against women. The REAL Fathers Initiative is a 12-session father mentoring program implemented by volunteers that is designed to reduce child exposure to violence at home, breaking the cycle of intergenerational violence. Evaluation results comparing survey data among men exposed to the intervention and those unexposed demonstrate significant reductions in IPV at end line (aOR 0.48, CI 0.31, 0.76, p < 0.001) and over the longer term follow-up (aOR 0.47, CI 0.31, 0.77, p < 0.001) and significant reductions in physical child punishment at long-term follow-up (aOR 0.52, CI 0.32, 0.82, p < 0.001).
authors.affiliation: Institute for Reproductive Health, Georgetown University, 1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 699, Washington, DC, 20009, USA. kaa82@georgetown.edu.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4936-5073
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ashburn
authors.affiliation: Save the Children US, 501 Kings Highway, Fairfield, CT, 06825, USA.
authors.forename: Brad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kerner
authors.affiliation: Save the Children International, Plot 1 Arthur Oryem Road, PO Box 353, Gulu, Uganda.
authors.forename: Dickens
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ojamuge
authors.affiliation: Institute for Reproductive Health, Georgetown University, 1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 699, Washington, DC, 20009, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lundgren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000066511:Intimate Partner Violence; D008297:Male; D011678:Punishment; D012747:Sexual Partners; D014454:Uganda; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Child maltreatment; Gender; Intimate partner violence; Men; Uganda