Citation

Sullivan M, Egan M, Gooch M. Res. Soc. Work Pract. 2004; 14(3): 163-170.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1049731503257881

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study documented the evaluation of a 9-week group intervention program designed to address the needs of both abused mothers and their children who have witnessed violence. The intervention was designed to increase parenting skills, address the needs of both parents and children regarding increasing coping abilities and safety planning skills, and decrease the effects of postviolence stress. Parents and children were divided into groups based on clinical cutoff scores for analysis. Overall, the group intervention was effective in reducing blame and trauma symptoms. Parents generally perceived the intervention more helpful for their children than for themselves, but scores indicated that parents' feelings of isolation, stress levels, and health problems decreased significantly at posttest. Practice implications suggest this group intervention is most effective with children who enter the program with behavior scores above the clinical cutoff scores.