Behavioral parent training is a method that therapists use to train parents to respond effectively and constructively to their children's potentially problematic behaviors. It is an empirically oriented method that uses behavior-analytic principles to reach its aims. Specifically, parents are trained to identify specific types of behaviors in their children and respond effectively to them. Skills that parents learn in this way include reinforcement of acceptable behavior, punishment for unacceptable behavior, correcting errors, and other ways of instructing their children's behavior.
According to Smagner and Sullivan (2005, p. 431), two types of behavioral parent training can be distinguished: one is general, teaching parents to respond better to general child rearing challenges; and the other is more specific, where parents are trained to respond effectively to specific behavior problems in their children. Such problems could include mental conditions such as ADHD or the effects of traumatic or challenging events in the child's life.
Child neglect and abuse are severe social issues in the developed world today. Behavioral parent training programs are aimed at alleviating this problem by training parents to respond appropriately to their children. This was also the aim of the study conducted by Smagner and Sullivan (2005, p. 432). The authors found that behavioral parent training is significantly effective, even when applied to involuntary participants. The study showed the enduring success of the program by observing the participants for six months after the training. The majority displayed improved behavior and better management of their children's behavior.
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