Reducing conduct problems among children of battered women

This study was an experimental evaluation of an intervention designed to re duce conduct problems among children of battered women. Participants were 3 6 families (mothers and children) in which the mother had sought shelter be cause of relationship violence and had at least I child (4-9 years old) wit h clinical levels of conduct problems. The intervention consisted of 2 prim ary components: (a) providing instrumental and emotional support and (b) te aching child management skills to mothers. Families were randomly assigned to either the intervention condition or the existing services comparison co ndition and were assessed on 5 occasions over 16 months after shelter depar ture. Compared with families receiving existing services, children in the i ntervention condition improved at a faster rate, the proportion of children displaying clinical levels of conduct problems was greatly diminished, and mothers displayed greater improvements in child management skills.