Community mobilisation to support positive parenting: insights and lessons

Action research and participatory processes can strengthen commitment to positive parenting and help reduce interpersonal violence.

Programmes that support parents and equip them to parent non-violently are key to the long- term prevention of interpersonal violence. This policy brief shares lessons from a project in a rural township in South Africa’s Western Cape province. The project delivered evidence-based positive parenting programmes in combination with a social activation process to support parenting through community leadership.

About the authors

Warren Parker is a Public Health and Communication Specialist working in African contexts. Chandré Gould is a Senior Research Fellow in the Justice and Violence Prevention Programme at the ISS. Catherine Ward is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Lisa Kleyn is a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology at UCT. Wilmi Dippenaar is the Director of the Seven Passes Initiative. Sheridan Kennedy is a Parenting Facilitator at the Seven Passes Initiative. John Ruiters is a member of the Seven Passes Board and is one of the members of the social activation group. Naizel Buys is a teacher at the Touwsranten Primary School, Chair of the Board of the Seven Passes Initiative, and is a member of the social activation group.