STEP: Systematic Training for Effective Parenting - Detailed Report

STEP is intended for parent education study groups.

• Parents share their concerns and learn that their problems are not unique.
• Parents become aware that their own reactions and attitudes may have unintentionally influenced their children's unacceptable behaviors

STEP provides clear Course Objectives.

• Parents gain an understanding of developmental sequences and their child's accomplishments.
• Parents learn how children's belief systems are formed.
• Parents learn to identify the four goals of misbehavior and how to foster positive results
  • Attention
  • Power
  • Revenge
  • Inadequacy
• Parents discover ways to build children's self-esteem through the process of encouragement
• Parents develop an effective discipline system based on both firmness and kindness
• Parents learn to deal with emotional problems and promote positive emotional growth

STEP: Systematic Training for Effective Parenting is rated a "3 – Promising Research Evidence" on the Scientific Rating Scale based on the published, peer-reviewed research available. The practice must have at least one study utilizing some form of control (e.g., untreated group, placebo group, matched wait list) establishing the practice's benefit over the placebo, or found it to be comparable to or better than an appropriate comparison practice. For more information on the rating of a “3 – Promising Research Evidence,” please see the Scientific Rating Scale.

Hammett, V. L., Omizo, M. M., & Loffredo, D. A. (1981). The effects of participation in a STEP program on parents’ child-rearing attitudes and the self-concepts of their learning disabled children. The Exceptional Child, 28(3), 183-190.

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of participants: 50 mother and child pairs
Population:

Age Range: 5 to 8 years
Race/Ethnicity: Predominantly White
Status (e.g., foster care, CW): Mothers of children classified as learning disabled by educational guidelines

Location/Institution: Texas
Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations) Participants were randomly assigned to STEP treatment or to the control group. Both groups were pre-tested two weeks prior to the treatment and post-tested two weeks after the treatment. Measures included the Parent Attitude Survey (PAS), which looks at parental attitudes about their children’s behavior and the Primary Self Concept Inventory (PSCI), which measures children’s self-concept concerning school success. Parents in the treatment group improved their PAS scores, particularly in the areas of Acceptance and Trust. Children’s PSCI scores also showed improvements in the areas of Personal Self and Social Self. The authors note that examination of programs variables is needed to determined reasons for lack of effects on other subscales.
Length of post-intervention follow-up: 2 weeks

Nystul, M. S. (1982). The effects of systematic training for effective parenting on parental attitudes. The Journal of Psychology, 112, 63-66.

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of participants: 42 mothers
Population:

Age Range: 23 to 50
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
Status (e.g., foster care, CW): Mothers who applied for STEP training based on media advertisements

Location/Institution: Brisbane, Australia
Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations) Mothers were randomly assigned to receive the STEP program, or to a wait-list control group. Pre- and post-tests were done using the Attitude Toward the Freedom of Children Scale II (ATFC-II) and the Parent Attitude Research Instrument Q4 (PARI Q4). Mothers in the treatment group were found to be more democratic in their child-rearing attitudes after training. They also differed from control mothers on the Encouraging Verbalization subscale and showed a decrease on the Strictness subscale of the PARI Q4. This study is limited by sample size, lack of diversity and self-selection into the study by mothers.
Length of post-intervention follow-up: None.

Williams, R.E., Omizo, M. M., & Abrams, B. C. (November, 1984). Effects of STEP on parental attitudes and locus of control of their learning disabled children. The School Counselor, 126-133.

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of participants: 38 parents
Population:

Age Range: 9-12 years
Race/Ethnicity: White
Status (e.g., foster care, CW): Volunteers with learning disable children recruited from a middle-to-upper-class suburban neighborhood

Location/Institution: Los Angeles
Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations) Parents randomly assigned to the treatment or control condition were tested one week before and one week after the study period. Measures included the Parent Attitude Survey (PAS) and the Locus of Control Inventory for Three Achievement Domains (LOCITAD), which measure acceptance of responsibility for success and failure in intellectual, physical, and social activities. Children in the treatment condition showed improvement relative to controls in all three domains. Parents PAS scores also improved on Trust, Acceptance, and Caution. This study is limited by lack of economic diversity in the sample and self-selection.
Length of post-intervention follow-up: 1 week.

Noller, P., & Taylor, R. (1989). Parent education and family relations. Family Relations, 38, 196-200.

Type of Study: Non-equivalent comparison groups
Number of participants: 62
Population:

Age Range: Women: 25 to 46; Men: 26-51
Race/Ethnicity: Not given
Status (e.g., foster care, CW): Parents who had already enrolled in one of two parent education programs (STEP or Parent Effectiveness Training).

Location/Institution: Australia
Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations) Parents were approached for the study if they were enrolled in either a STEP program or a Parent Effectiveness Training (PET) program. PET is a behaviorally based program. Participants completed the measures at the beginning or end of their course. Measures included demographic data, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale which measures marital satisfaction, the Parents Rating of Program Effectiveness and the Areas of Change in Parenting Scale which looks at areas where couples would like to see change in each others parenting behaviors. Analysis showed that the two programs were seen as equally effective. This study is limited by a lack of direct measures of change in parenting or in children’s behaviors.
Length of post-intervention follow-up: 8 weeks.

Brooks, L. D., Spearn, R. C., Rice, M., Crocco, D., Hodgins, C., & Schaaf, V. (1988). Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP): An evaluation study with a Canadian population. Canada's Mental Health, 36, 2-5.

Campbell, N. A., & Sutton, J. M., Jr. (1983). Impact of parent education groups on family environment. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 8, 126-132.

Hammett, V. L., Omizo, M. M., & Loffredo, D. A. (1981). The effects of participation in a STEP program on parents' child-rearing attitudes and the self-concepts of their learning disabled children. Exceptional Child, 28, 183-190.

McInnis-Dittrich, K. (1996). Violence prevention: An ecological adaptation of Systematic Training for Effective Parenting. Families in Society, 77(1), 412-422.

Meredith, R., & Benninga, J. S. (1979). Counseling with parents to benefit children. Elementary School Guidance and Counseling, 14, 36-42.

Naso, M. & Mirande, E. (1990). Efforts to help parents of LEP students take many forms. BEOutreach, 1(3), 8-14.

Noller, P., & Taylor, R. (1989). Parent education and family relations. Family Relations, 38, 196-200.

Nystul, M. S. (1982). The effects of Systematic Training for Effective Parenting on parental attitudes. The Journal of Psychology, 112, 63-66.

Sharpley, C. F., & Poiner, A. M. (1980). An exploratory evaluation of the Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) programme. Australian Psychologist, 15, 103-109.

Snow, J. N., Kern, R. M. & Penick, J. (1997). The effects of STEP on patient progress in an adolescent day hospital. Individual Psychology, 53(4), 388-395.

Wantz, R. A., & Recor, R. D. (1984). Simultaneous parent-child group intervention. Elementary School Guidance and Counseling, 19, 126-131.

Williams, R. E., Omizo, M. M., & Abrams, B. C. (1984). Effects of STEP on parental attitudes and locus of control of their learning disabled children. The School Counselor, 32, 126-133.