Strengthening Families Program For Parents and Youth 10-14 (SFP)
BPP18
1999 (Updated 08/2006)
PDF Version of Fact Sheet
Contact SFP
Program Overview:
The Strengthening Families Program For Parents and Youth 10-14 (SFP), fomerly the Iowa Strengthening Families Program (ISFP), is a universal, family-based intervention which enhances parents’ general child management skills, parent-child affective relationships, and family communication. Based on a developmental model, SFP assumes that increasing the family’s protective processes while decreasing its potential risk factors can alter a child’s future, so that problem behaviors can be reduced or avoided. In addition, the program seeks to delay the onset of adolescent alcohol and substance use by improving family practices.
Program Targets:
SFP is designed for use with all sixth-grade students and their families. It has been successfully implemented in 33 rural, Midwestern schools in which most of the program families were white and middle-class and most parents had obtained at least a high school education.
Program Content:
The seven-week intervention utilizes a biopsychosocial model in which parents and children learn individual skills, then are brought together to improve family communication and practices.
- During the parent training sessions, held in groups with an average of eight families, parents are taught to clarify expectations of children’s behavior, especially regarding substance use; utilize appropriate and consistent discipline techniques; manage strong emotions concerning their children; and use effective communication.
- In the child sessions, adolescents learn similar skills, as well as peer resistance and refusal techniques; personal and social interaction skills; and stress and emotion management.
- In the combined parent and children classes, families practice conflict resolution and communication skills, and engage in activities designed to increase family cohesiveness.
Program Outcomes:
Both post-test evaluations of family processes and follow-up studies of individual substance use have demonstrated positive effects for SFP families and adolescents, compared to control groups.
At post-test, SFP participants showed:
- Improved child management practices, including monitoring, discipline, and standard setting;
- Increased parent-child communication;
- More child involvement in family activities and decisions; and
- Strengthened family affective quality.
One- and two-year follow-up analyses revealed that participating adolescents had:
- Lower rates of alcohol initiation at both years; and
- 30-60% relative reductions in alcohol use, using without parents’ permission, and being drunk.
References
Spoth, R., Redmond, C., & Lepper, H. (1999). Alcohol Initiation Outcomes of Universal Family-Focused Preventive Interventions: One- and Two-Year Follow-Ups of a Controlled Study. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 13, 103-111.
Spoth, R., Redmond, C., & Shin, C. (1998). Direct and Indirect Latent-Variable Parenting Outcomes of Two Universal Family-Focused Preventive Interventions: Extending a Public Health-Oriented Research Base. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66(2), 385-399.
Spoth, R.L., Redmond, C., & Shin, C. (2000, December). Reducing Adolescents' Aggressive and Hostile Behaviors: Randomized Trial Effects of a Brief Family Intervention 4 Years Past Baseline. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 154(12), 1248-1257.
Spoth, R., Reyes, M.L., Redmond, C., & Shin, C. (1999, October). Assessing a Public Health Approach to Delay Onset and Progression of Adolescent Substance Use: Latent Transition and Log-Linear Analyses of Longitudinal Family Preventive Intervention Outcomes. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67(5), 619-630.
Contact SFP
STRENGTHENING FAMILIES PROGRAM FOR PARENTS AND YOUTH 10-14 (SFP) |
| Formerly the Iowa Strengthening Families Program |
| For general program information, contact: |
| Virginia Molgaard , Ph.D. Institute for Social and Behavioral Research Iowa State University ISU Research Park, Bldg. 2, Suite 500 2625 North Loop Drive Ames, IA 50011-1260 Phone: (515) 294-8762 Fax: (515) 294-3613 Email: vmolgaar@iastate.edu Website: www.extension.iastate.edu/sfp |
| For training information, contact: |
| Catherine Webb Iowa State University Extension to Families 2625 North Loop Drive Ames, IA 50011-1260 Phone: (515) 294-1426 Fax: (515) 294-3613 Email: cwebb@iastate.edu Website: www.extension.iastate.edu/sfp |
| For information about ordering curriculum materials, contact: |
| ISU Extension Distribution Center Iowa State University 119 Printing and Publications Building Ames, IA 50011 Phone: (515) 294-5247 Fax: (515) 294-2945 Email: pubdist@iastate.edu Website: www.extension.iastate.edu/sfp/inside/order.php |
