Child Abuse
Knowing what to do starts with knowing what works, and what hasn't. CrimeSolutions helps practitioners and policymakers understand what programs & practices work, are promising, or haven't worked yet.
On this page you can find programs and practices related to Child Abuse. Select "Search Filters" to narrow down the list by rating, extent of evidence, and many other aspects of the programs or practices. Skip to Practices
CrimeSolutions’ ratings are assigned from standardized reviews of rigorous evaluations and meta-analyses. While we encourage you to learn more about this process, you don’t need to in order to benefit from it. Our clear ratings and profiles can help you determine if a program or category of program is worth pursuing.
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Effective | Implementing the program is likely to result in the intended outcome(s). | On average, there is strong evidence that implementing a program encompassed by the practice will achieve the intended outcome. |
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Promising | Implementing the program may result in the intended outcome(s) | On average, there is some evidence that implementing a program encompassed by the practice will achieve the intended outcome. |
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Ineffective | Implementing the program is unlikely to result in the intended outcome(s) and may result in a negative outcome(s). | On average, there is strong evidence that implementing a program encompassed by the practice will not achieve the intended outcome or may result in a negative outcome. |
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Negative Effects | Implementing the program is likley to result in a negative outcome(s). | On average, there is strong evidence that implementing a program encompassed by the practice will result in a negative outcome. |
Programs
Showing Results For:
Topic: child abuse| Title | Evidence Rating | Topics | Summary | RCT | |||||
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| Program Profile: PSYCHOPATHY.COMP (Portugal) |
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Mental health | This is an individual compassion-focused, therapy-based intervention adapted from traditional compassionate-focused therapy to reduce psychopathic traits in youth in a correctional setting in Portugal. The program is rated Promising. The program was shown to statistically significantly decrease measures of psychopathic traits, grandiose manipulative, callous–unemotional, impulsive irresponsible, daring irresponsible, and conduct disorder traits. Date Posted: |
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| Program Profile: New Orientation for Reducing Threats to Health from Secretive-problems That Affect Readiness (NORTH STAR) |
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This is a prevention planning and implementation system designed to improve risk and protective factors, and reduce secretive problems, in military communities. The program is rated Ineffective. There were no statistically significant differences between the bases assigned to NORTH STAR and the comparison bases on measures of physical or emotional interpersonal violence/partner abuse, physical or emotional child abuse, hazardous drinking, suicidality, or prescription drug misuse.
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Promising | One study |
The goal of this exposure-based, integrative intervention was to reduce substance use and mental health problems in adolescents who have experienced trauma. The program is rated Promising. The program had a statistically significant impact on depressive and internalizing symptoms, family cohesion, and family conflict. There were mixed results for PTSD symptoms and substance use. There was no statistically significant impact on externalizing symptoms.
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Ineffective | One study |
This is a home-visiting program for first-time mothers in high-risk families that promotes positive parenting to prevent child maltreatment and out-of-home placements. The program is rated Ineffective. Treatment group families had a statistically significant lower number of substantiated child maltreatment and neglect cases, compared with the comparison group, but there was no statistically significant effect on out-of-home placements, and substantiated physical abuse.
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Promising | One study |
This is a home-visitation program that aims to prevent and address factors associated with child abuse and neglect. The program is rated Promising. Parents in the SafeCare group demonstrated statistically significant decreases in depression symptoms and risk of child protective services recidivism, compared with parents in the control group. However, there were no statistically significant differences in the risk of child physical abuse among a sample of American Indian parents.
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Promising | One study |
This is an interactive, one-hour, online training course that educates school personnel on identifying, reporting, and preventing child sexual abuse (CSA). This program is rated Promising. There was a statistically significant increase in knowledge about CSA for teachers who participated in the training, compared with teachers who did not participate.
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Promising | One study |
The program provides postsecondary educational classes and programs to prisoners via one-way Internet courses or onsite vocational instruction. The goal of the program is to reduce arrests following release from prison. The program is rated Promising. This program was shown to statistically significantly reduce arrests within the 1-year follow-up period.
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Promising | One study |
This is a program for adolescent females with a history of violence/abuse and involvement in the child welfare system. The goal of the program was to reduce re-victimization in teen dating situations. The program used mindfulness-based, cognitive interventions to build skills for responding to risky situations (including reasoning and problem solving). The program is rated Promising. The intervention was shown to statistically significantly reduce sexual and physical re-victimization.
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Ineffective | One study |
The program is a problem-solving court that operate a specialized caseload for domestic violence-related cases only, and for which eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis. Criminal domestic violence courts tend to be more common throughout the U.S. The program is rated Ineffective. The criminal domestic violence courts in New York statistically significantly reduced case-processing time, but there was no statistically significant impact on recidivism.
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Promising | One study |
This program seeks to reduce the recidivism of persons previously convicted of driving while under the influence of alcohol (DUI) through intensive testing and monitoring of drug and alcohol consumption. The main goal is to encourage sobriety of convicted persons 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The program is rated Promising. The program led to a statistically significant reduction in repeat DUI and domestic violence arrests, but did not impact first-time DUI arrests or traffic crashes.
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Ineffective | More than one study |
This is a supervision program for high-risk youths. The program is rated Ineffective. Participants had a statistically significant decrease in the number of felony petitions, compared with the control group; however, there were no differences in petitions for new offenses, misdemeanor petitions, warrant status, days spent in custody, GPA, classes passed, classes failed, or number of days of school attended. There were also mixed findings on petitions for probation violations.
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Promising | One study |
This is a child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention training program to educate adults, such as childcare professionals, to prevent, recognize, and react to CSA. The program is rated Promising. Participants who received the in-person and web-based training demonstrated a statistically significant higher level of CSA knowledge and a greater number of preventative behaviors, compared with the wait-list control group. There was no statistically significant difference found between groups in CSA attitudes.
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Promising | One study |
This is an antiviolence program designed to prevent child maltreatment by providing education, resources, and support to parents to improve their parenting skills. The program is rated Promising. Treatment group parents reported a statistically significant reduction in using harsh discipline strategies and increase in appropriate developmental expectations, compared with control group parents at the 3-month follow up. However, there was no statistically significant difference in nurturing.
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Promising | One study |
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Promising | One study |
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Promising | One study |
This program consists of a structured interview protocol for professionals conducting forensic interviews with children in sexual abuse investigations. The program is rated Promising. Cases that followed the protocol showed a statistically significant greater likelihood of resulting in charges being filed, compared with cases that were handled prior to the protocol being implemented.
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Promising | One study |
This program addresses family functioning and parental behavior to reduce child abuse, neglect, and external placement. The program is rated Promising. Compared with the control group, treatment parents and children showed statistically significant improvements in functioning, treatment parents showed significant improvements in social support, and treatment children had a lower likelihood of receiving external placement. However, there were no significant differences between groups on abuse.
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Effective | More than one study |
This is a home visitation program for low-income, first-time mothers designed to improve family functioning. The program is rated Effective. Treatment families reported statistically significant decreases in child abuse/neglect and domestic violence and improvements in home learning environments, compared with control families. Treatment children reported statistically significant decreases in substance use, compared with control children, but there were no differences in behavior problems.
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Promising | One study |
This is a decision-support system designed to reduce subsequent abuse and neglect of children and expedite permanency for children who have been removed from home. The program is rated Promising. At the 12-month follow up, treatment group children experienced statistically significant higher rates of permanency status, compared with control group children. However, there were no differences between groups on rates of reentry to the foster care system after reunification.
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Promising | One study |
This program is designed to provide support to battered mothers and reduce conduct problems in their children. The program is rated Promising. There were statistically significant effects in favor of the treatment group on measures of children’s conduct problems, happiness, and mothers’ aggression toward children. However, there were no statistically significant effects on children’s internalizing behaviors, mothers’ return to abusive partners, or recurrence of physical violence.
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Promising | One study |
This is a family therapy program designed to reduce the effects of child abuse. The program is rated Promising. There were statistically significant reductions in family conflict, parent-child violence, physical punishment, and child abuse risk, and improvements in discipline, cohesion, and child acceptance. There were also statistically significant reductions in child internalizing and externalizing symptoms. However, there were no significant differences between groups in re-abuse rates.
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Effective | More than one study |
This program teaches parents new interaction and discipline skills to reduce children’s problem behaviors and parental physical child abuse by improving parent-child relationships and parental responses to difficult child behavior. The program is rated Effective. Treatment group parents showed statistically significant improvements in both parent and child behavior and a reduction in re-reports of child physical abuse, compared with control group parents, at the follow up.
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Ineffective | One study |
This is a gender-specific, family-based intervention designed to help drug-using mothers who participate in family drug court to maintain their parental rights. The program is rated No Effects. The program had no statistically significant effects on child welfare outcomes, self-reported drug use, physical child abuse potential, overall psychological stress, self-reported alcohol use, family and social functioning, psychiatric problems, and urinalysis results.
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| Title | Evidence Rating | Topics | Summary | ||||||||||||||
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| Practice Profile: Psychotherapy with Adults Sexually Abused in Childhood |
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Children exposed to violence, Coping, Rape and sexual assault, Violent crime, Crime prevention, Mental health | This practice comprises therapeutic approaches for adults who were sexually abused in childhood, and is designed to improve psychological distress, reduce maladaptive behavior, or enhance adaptive behavior through counseling, structured or unstructured interaction, or a predetermined treatment plan. The practice is rated Promising for decreasing posttraumatic stress disorder, trauma, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Date Posted: |
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| Practice Profile: Kinship Care for Children Removed from Home for Maltreatment |
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Juvenile health, Mental health, Children exposed to violence, Family reunification, Foster care/child welfare system, Child health and welfare, Juvenile (under 18) | An alternative to traditional foster care, this practice places children removed from home due to maltreatment with other members of their family or with friends of the family. This practice is rated Promising for reducing behavioral and adaptive problems, increasing child well-being, decreasing the number of placements, and reducing institutional abuse. The practice is rated Ineffective for increasing family reunification and attachment. Date Posted: |
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| Practice Profile: Preventive Child Maltreatment Programs |
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Children exposed to violence, Child health and welfare, Juvenile (under 18), Crime prevention, Crisis response | Preventive child maltreatment programs are designed to prevent physical child abuse or neglect by educating expectant and new parents in parenting skills, coping with stressors, and stimulating child development. This practice is rated Effective for preventing child abuse, neglect, and maltreatment. Date Posted: |
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| Practice Profile: Therapeutic Approaches for Sexually Abused Children and Adolescents |
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Children exposed to violence, Trauma, Treatment, Juvenile (under 18), Child health and welfare, Victims of crime | Interventions designed to reduce the negative effects of child sexual abuse, which can include PTSD, internalizing behaviors, and externalizing behaviors. The practice is rated Effective for reducing PTSD symptoms, internalizing behaviors, and externalizing behaviors. Date Posted: |
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| Practice Profile: School-Based Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Programs |
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Rape and sexual assault, Juvenile (under 18), Child health and welfare, Crime prevention | This practice comprises school-based programs that are designed to reduce the occurrence of sexual abuse in children and adolescents. The practice is rated Promising for increasing children’s prevention-related knowledge and Effective for increasing protective behaviors and disclosures of previous or current sexual abuse. The practice is rated No Effects for decreasing child self-reported anxiety or fear. Date Posted: |
