Citation

Mandell S. J. Community Psychol. 2000; 28(6): 687-690.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Report Card distribution reportedly triggers an outbreak of child abuse. If we can prevent that outburst of anger at this time by initiating a process of family and community attitudinal change through offering positive parenting techniques and crisis intervention by phone, we would significantly reduce the incidence of physical abuse. The Mayor's Office for Children and Youth and The Baltimore City Commission for Children and Youth developed a school related child abuse prevention campaign which included messages to parents on colorful attractive cards suggesting positive parenting techniques and crisis intervention phone numbers which were distributed with each report card. Public Service Announcements (PSAs) for TV were developed with the same positive parenting message and aired just prior to and during the week of Report Card distribution. Agencies and organizations whose mission is child abuse prevention, mental health treatment and social support participated as well as agencies and organizations involved in tutoring and academic support. An of the 180 schools in Baltimore City used the cards and teachers and administrators reported a change in parental attitude, more parent visits and better communication between teachers and parents. The phone numbers on the cards were used at a significantly higher rate each time the cards came home, some as many as 400 times their normal call rate. After one year of the project, the State's Attorney's Office observed that incidents of known child abuse as a result of a bad report card was down from 90 to two. This project was continued for six years first with state funds and after three years with private foundation funds. At this time, the Baltimore City School System has adopted the program and is distributing the cards.