title: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of interventions designed to decrease child abuse in high-risk families.
abstract: Child abuse is a global problem, and parents with histories of childhood abuse are at increased risk of abusing their offspring. The objective of this systematic review is to provide a clear overview of the existing literature of randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of interventions to prevent child abuse. PubMed, PsychINFO, Web of Science, Sociological Abstracts, and CINAHL were systematically searched and expanded by hand search. This review includes all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions designed to prevent abuse among mothers identified as high-risk. Of the eight studies identified, only three found statistically significant reductions in abuse by any measure, and only two found reductions in incidents reported to child protective services. While much has been written about child abuse in high-risk families, few RCTs have been performed. Only home visitation has a significant evidence base for reducing child abuse, and the findings vary considerably. Also, data from low- and middle-income countries are limited.
authors.affiliation: The Chester M. Pierce, MD Division of Global Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, 5 Longfellow Pl., Suite 215, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, MA 02115, USA; Institute for Juvenile Research, University of Illinois College of Medicine, 1747 W Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL 60608, USA. Electronic address: elevey@mgh.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Levey
authors.affiliation: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Bizu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gelaye
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bain
authors.affiliation: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Av. Honorio Delgado 430, Urb Ingeniería, San Martin de Porras, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Marta B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Rondon
authors.affiliation: Boston Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, 840 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02118, USA; Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA 02118, USA.
authors.forename: Christina P C
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Borba
authors.affiliation: Boston Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, 840 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02118, USA; Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA 02118, USA.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.affiliation: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000068216:Child Protective Services; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006792:House Calls; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment
keywords: Abuse; Child maltreatment; Intergenerational transmission; Neglect; Randomized controlled trial; Systematic review