Battered Women and Parenting: Acceptability of an Evidence-Based Parenting Programme to Women in Shelters

Introduction:Levels of intimate partner violence (IPV) in South Africa are unacceptably high. Mothers exposed to IPV are more likely to use harsh parenting, which increases their children’s risk for multiple negative outcomes, including child behavior problems. Although evidence-based parenting programs may therefore be useful in shelters for battered women, none are currently available in South Africa. Before these interventions can be disseminated within shelters, it is necessary to determine whether they are acceptable to their residents. This study investigated the opinions of mothers living in shelters about the acceptability of program materials, preferences for delivery methods, and barriers to use of the Australian-developed Triple P–Positive Parenting Program, as an example of a typical parenting programme with an evidence base.

Methods:  Thirty-two mothers of three- to eight-year-olds were recruited from three shelters in Cape Town, South Africa. These mothers watched the Triple P Every Parent’s Survival Guide DVD, which describes the 17 parenting strategies used by Triple P, and received four Triple P tip-sheets. They completed a questionnaire with items on their own parenting, their opinions of the Triple P strategies and materials, and on their perceived barriers to accessing Triple P. Focus group discussions were used to explore issues raised in the questionnaire in more depth. Basic descriptive statistics were obtained from the questionnaire data, while focus group data was analyzed using template analysis.

Results:Participants typically viewed the Triple P strategies, materials, and delivery methods as acceptable.  Participants indicated that they were likely to implement the strategies, and many were currently using some of them. Time constraints and living within a shelter were emphasized as the greatest barriers to implementing strategies, while no Internet access and financial cost were considered the most significant barriers to program access. Participants liked both self-directed and group-based formats, while web-based delivery was the least preferred delivery method. They found both the DVD and tip-sheets to be culturally appropriate and useful, although they may be literacy issues with the latter.

Conclusions: This is one of the first studies investigating the acceptability of an internationally-developed, evidence-based parenting program in South Africa. Findings show that the strategies taught in such programs, and the delivery methods used, are acceptable to mothers living in these settings. Mothers in shelters are eager for parenting support, and shelters provide an ideal opportunity for delivering such support to this high-risk population.