Peer-reviewed article
Family Violence Reduction Within a Parenting Intervention in Rwanda: A Mixed-Methods Study
Sarah K. G. Jensen, Shauna M. Murray, Matias Placencio‐Castro, Ursula Kajani, Deborah Amponsah et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study evaluated Sugira Muryango, a home-visiting program for vulnerable families with young children in rural Rwanda, to understand how it reduced violence. The program taught caregivers communication skills and positive parenting techniques, with a focus on engaging fathers in childcare. The study combined interviews with caregivers and their partners alongside data from 931 families to identify what worked and why. Results showed the program reduced both physical punishment of children and intimate partner violence, with improvements in how warmly parents interacted with their children.
Key points
- Daily hardships and alcohol problems were identified as key risk factors for both violent discipline and intimate partner violence
- The intervention reduced violent discipline among caregivers and increased father engagement in childcare
- Female caregivers showed increased warmth toward children after the intervention, which was associated with reduced violent discipline
- Community lay workers taught communication and positive interaction techniques that contributed to violence reduction
- Increased caregiving warmth was marginally associated with reduced female victimization by intimate partners
Limitations
The study does not provide details on the magnitude of violence reduction or effect sizes, and the marginal association between caregiving warmth and reduced female victimization suggests this mechanism may be weaker than others. Long-term follow-up data are not described.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A mixed-methods study of mechanisms of change through which a home-visiting-based early childhood development intervention, Sugira Muryango ("strong family"), reduced violent discipline and intimate partner violence in Rwanda. METHODS: The cluster-randomized trial of Sugira Muryango enrolled socioeconomically vulnerable families with children aged 6 to 36 months in rural Rwanda. We interviewed 18 female caregivers early in the intervention, and 21 female caregivers and 11 male intimate partners were interviewed after the intervention. Coded interviews identify risk factors for violence and mechanisms of intervention-related change in violence. Quantitative analyses included 931 caregivers (52.6% female) who lived with an intimate partner to examine risk factors for violence, intervention effects, and mechanisms of violence reduction. RESULTS: The qualitative data identified daily hardships and alcohol problems as risk factors for violent discipline and intimate partner violence. Through Sugira Muryango, caregivers learned that strong relationships between partners and engagement of male caregivers in child care has positive impacts on children's development. Techniques taught by community lay workers improved communication, promoted positive parent-child interactions, and reduced intimate partner violence and violent discipline. Quantitative analyses also found that daily hardships predict violent discipline and intimate partner violence. Sugira Muryango reduced violent discipline, increased father engagement, and increased female caregiving warmth. Moreover, pre- to postintervention change in caregiving warmth was associated with reduced use of violent discipline among female caregivers and marginally associated with reduced female victimization. CONCLUSIONS: Violence reduction can be integrated into early child development programs to reduce violent discipline and intimate partner violence.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Sugira Muryango, a home-visiting-based early childhood development program teaching caregivers communication skills, positive parenting techniques, and engaging fathers in childcare
- Population
- Socioeconomically vulnerable families with children aged 6 to 36 months in rural Rwanda; 931 caregivers (52.6% female) analyzed quantitatively
Key finding
Sugira Muryango reduced violent discipline among caregivers
Jensen et al. · Prof. Theresa S. Betancourt (OpenAlex works) · 1 May 2023