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Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP)

Scientific Rating:
3
Promising Research Evidence
See scale of 1-5
Child Welfare Relevance Level:
Medium

See descriptions of 3 levels

Brief Description

The information in this program outline is provided by the program representative and edited by the CEBC staff. The Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) program has been rated by the CEBC in the area of: Parent Training.

  • Types of Maltreatment: Does not target any specific kind of maltreatment
  • Target Population: Parents.

STEP (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting) is a multi-component parenting education curriculum. The three STEP programs help parents learn effective ways to relate to their children from birth through adolescence by using parent education study groups. By identifying the purposes of children's behavior, STEP also helps parents learn how to encourage cooperative behavior in their children and how not to reinforce unacceptable behaviors. STEP also helps parents change dysfunctional and destructive relationships with their children by offering concrete alternatives to abusive and ineffective methods of discipline and control. STEP is offered in three separate programs covering early childhood, children ages seven through twelve, and teenagers. Each program contains a leader's resource guide, promotional tools, videos and parent handbooks.

Essential Components

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

Child Component

Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) was not designed with a child component.

Parent / Caregiver Component

Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) was designed with a parent/caregiver component that addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms:

  • Dysfunctional and destructive relationships with children; abusive and ineffective methods of discipline and control.

Group Format

Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) was designed to be conducted in a group setting, and has been tested for use in a group setting.

Recommended group size:

There is no set minimum/maximum group size, but is recommended to break large groups into smaller discussion groups for better interaction. 12-15.

Testing References:

Studies are listed at www.agsnet.com/parenting/step/.

Delivery Settings

This program is typically conducted in a(n):

  • Adoptive Home
  • Birth Family Home
  • Community Agency
  • Foster Home
  • Hospital
  • Outpatient Clinic
  • Residential Care Facility
  • School

Homework

Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) includes a homework component:

Parents are directed to read a chapter each week from a short parent handbook. Activities each week include observations of their child's behavior and implementation of skills learned each week in the parenting group. Parents are asked to provide brief oral reports each week sharing their results.

Languages

Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) has materials available in a language other than English:

Spanish

For information on which materials are available in this language, please check on the program's website or contact the program representative (contact information is listed at the bottom of this page).

Resources Needed to Run Program

The typical resources for implementing the program are:

None specified.

Minimum Provider Qualifications

Trained in counseling, psychology, social work, the ministry, pediatrics, education, nursing, psychiatry, or similar areas. Ability to lead groups.

Education and Training Resources

There is a manual that describes how to implement this program, and there is training available for this program.

Training Contact:
Training is obtained:

On-site, Regional.

Number of days/hours:

One day/Six contact hours.

Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research

This program 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 study) establishing the practice's benefit over the placebo, or found it to be comparable to or better than an appropriate comparison practice. Please see the Scientific Rating Scale for more information.

Child Welfare Outcome: Child/Family Well-Being

Show relevant research...

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
  • Gender — Not Specified
  • Status — 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
  • Gender — Not Specified
  • Status — 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
  • Gender — Not Specified
  • Status — 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 Specified
  • Gender — Not Specified
  • Status — 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.

References

Show references...

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.

Contact Information

Agency/Affiliation: STEP Publishers, LLC
Website: www.steppublishers.com
Email:
Phone: (800) 720-1286
Fax: (800) 720-1286

Date Reviewed: June 2011 (originally reviewed in March 2006)