Treatment of child abuse

Data description ZonMW project

Resolutions approach: a multidisciplinary intervention for child abuse in the families.

Marija Maric (UvA), Annemariek Sepers (Centrum ’45), Trudy Mooren (Centrum ‘45/UU)

This research study is aimed at investigating the effectiveness and potential mechanisms of the Resolutions Approach (RA), a multidisciplinary intervention to stop child abuse and enhance safety in the families. Given the heterogeneity of the population and innovativeness of the topic, a SCED with a baseline period (A-phase) followed by a treatment period (B-phase) is designed. Participants were thirteen families with children between 8 and 18 years in which specific signs of current child abuse were determined by more than one informant. The RA is a 20-session protocol implemented in an individual, family and social network context. Assessments of primary (incidents of child abuse) and secondary (child’s emotional and behavioral problems, parental stress, closeness of child-parent relationship) outcomes took place at the start of the baseline period, at pre- and post-treatment, and at two follow-ups. Personalised, idiosyncratic, assessments of the main family problems were administered on a weekly base. At post-treatment, a qualitative interview was administered in the families examining the most potent mechanisms of change and treatment components. During social network meetings, safety and openness of communication about child abuse were assessed. Trial registration: Dutch Trial Register: NTR6757. Registered (retrospectively) 04 November 2017.