Community-wide change towards positive parenting

To build safer communities, integrated interventions are needed to address factors promoting family violence.

Positive parenting leads to happier, safer children. Programmes that involve non-governmental organisations, caregivers and community members as a whole can help build non-violent, warm relationships between parents and their children. Such integrated interventions – which should also address poverty, joblessness, substance abuse, family violence and mental health – can reduce violence and contribute to equality and stability in South Africa’s communities.

About the authors

Chandré Gould is a Senior Research Fellow in the Justice and Violence Prevention Programme at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).

Catherine Ward is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Cape Town.

Wilmi Dippenaar is Director of the Seven Passes Initiative and an MSc student at the University of the Western Cape. She is undertaking implementation research on the delivery of the Parenting for Lifelong Health teen programme.

Lisa Kleyn is a Doctor of psychology affiliated with the universities of Cape Town and Oxford. Her research focuses on the potential for using social network theory to explain community-wide impacts of parenting interventions.

Diketso Mufamadi is a Researcher in the Justice and Violence Prevention Programme at the ISS. She is an MSc student at the University of Cape Town and is undertaking research into the barriers to and opportunities for engaging men in parenting programmes.

Marilyn Lake is a Senior Data Analyst in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Cape Town.

Warren Parker is an international public health specialist focusing on people-centred health and social transformation