The Incredible Years Parent Training Programme in Tauranga A research summary Michelle Hamilton Dean of Studies, Pan American School, Porto Alegre, Brazil Angela Litterick-Biggs Practice Leader RTLB, Ministry of Education, Special Education ABSTRACT LITERATURE REVIEW The Incredible Years parent training programme is a Concerns about New Zealand youth research-based therapy which aims to help families An examination of the statistics associated with New Zealand improve the behaviour of children with conduct diffi culties youth show cause for concern, and many remain largely in the early years, while the behaviour is malleable static in that they are not showing improvement over (Webster-Stratton & Reid, 2003). The short-term goals of the time, for example: unemployment rates (Ministry of Social programme are to reduce conduct problems in children by Development, 2005, 2007; Ministry of Youth Development, increasing parental competence and strengthening families 2003); truancy rates (Ministry of Education, 2006); suicide (Webster-Stratton, 2000). The programme was developed statistics (Currie, 2003); and educational attainment (Ministry by the University of Washington’s Parenting Clinic, USA and of Education, 2004a). In 2003, 3.5% of students were stood- was introduced to the Tauranga community in 2002, via the down or suspended during the year (the statistics may include research of Lees (2003). Due to the success of the programme repeat offenders). The most common reasons for the stand- trialed in Lees’ research, it was rapidly embraced by agencies downs and suspensions were for being continually disobedient, and community organisations. physical assaults, and verbal assaults (Ministry of Education, 2004b). In 2006, 16% of students left secondary school having Hamilton’s (2005) research is summarised in this article and completed a maximum of less than half of a level 1 National was inspired by the rapid expansion of, and enthusiasm for, Certifi cate of Educational Achievement qualifi cation (Ministry the Incredible Years parent training programme in Tauranga. of Education, 2006). The Ministry of Youth Development Rather than following participants’ experiences within the (2002) website shows a steady decline in the personal income programme, the researcher interviewed the facilitators. of youth aged between 15-24 over the past decade. Therefore, The perspective taken was that most of the programme many youth are struggling to gain fi nancial independence facilitators are highly qualifi ed psychologists and social upon leaving school and are entering adulthood economically, workers who collectively have an enormous amount of as well as educationally, disadvantaged. This is also refl ected knowledge, experience and insight. The researcher captured in the unemployment rates, as the 15-24 year old age the observations and insights of the facilitators who, from group has signifi cantly higher unemployment rates than their experience working with the programme, made any of the older ages (Ministry of Social Development, 2007). valuable contributions to the identifi cation of the barriers Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for to the programme’s success in Tauranga, the appropriateness New Zealand youth aged between 16-24 years, followed by of this empirically supported manual-based therapy in suicide (Ministry of Youth Development, 2002). In the 15-24 New Zealand’s bicultural environment, and the value of year age group New Zealand ranked among the highest of the programme itself. The Incredible Years parent training the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development programme was found to be highly successful in Tauranga (OECD) nations for rates of suicide in 2002 (New Zealand as it provided a supportive group environment in which Health Information Service, 2002). Following continued high parents could share concerns and ideas, and it was adaptable suicide rates in New Zealand’s youth, it was noted in the 2007 to different cultural and individual needs. Social Report that ‘New Zealand is one of a small number Research of countries which have higher suicide rates at younger ages Keywords than at older ages’ (Ministry of Social Development, 2007). Behaviour problems, conduct disorder, cultural differences, Suggested causes of diffi culties faced by early intervention, evidence based practice, parenting, New Zealand youth parent training, programme evaluation. Walker (1999) commented that the American society has a tendency to minimise children’s behaviour diffi culties and not take action until problems become severe. Arguably, New Zealand takes the same approach to children’s behavioural problems. It is often hoped that 44 KAIRARANGA – VOLUME 9, ISSUE 1: 2008 children will outgrow their problems as the behaviour parent and trainer work towards modifying the child’s is assumed to be a stage of development which will pass behaviour in a positive, supportive way (Webster-Stratton, (Kauffman, 1999). Albee (1999) challenges society to consider 1998). The Incredible Years parent training programme that emotional and mental disorders could be ecologically utilises the collaborative model with the addition of based. Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) model of human development, support provided from the group members themselves. known as the ecological theory, provides a framework for This programme has been developed as a result of over understanding the effects of environment on the individual. 20 years of research conducted by Carolyn Webster-Stratton According to Bronfenbrenner’s theory, the individual is in the and her team at the Washington Parenting Clinic. centre of a series of “nested” systems which impact in varying levels on the life of the growing individual. Bronfenbrenner The Incredible Years programme operates a weekly two-hour argues that while extended family and cultural expectations session for 10 to 12 weeks. It is an interactive programme infl uence a child’s development, it is the people closest to which involves the group watching a video vignette as a the child who have the most impact on his/her development discussion starter. From the discussion, ideas are shared and and that is where intervention must begin. strategies evolve that are then reinforced through role play. Skills targeted for younger children include play, praise, One suggested ecological risk factor is low household income. using rewards effectively, limit setting and discipline Scott, O’Connor and Futh (2006) suggest that it is far harder (Webster-Stratton, 2000). The group is facilitated by two for parents who live in the stressful conditions found in trained leaders, commonly referred to in New Zealand as poor neighbourhoods to ensure that a child is brought up facilitators. Webster-Stratton (2001) stresses the importance experiencing warmth, love and encouragement within safe of highly skilled group leaders because there is a lot of boundaries. In 2001, approximately 25% of the New Zealand emphasis on group collaboration, and judgments must child population was found to be living in a household be made about when to deviate from the manual in with an income of less than 60% of the median national order to best meet the needs of the group participants. income (Ministry of Social Development, 2005). Beautrais The programme in Tauranga complies as closely as feasibly (1998) found that New Zealand youth at high risk of suicidal possible with all of the expectations for operation outlined behaviour often come from disadvantaged backgrounds, by the Washington Parenting Clinic. Facilitators undergo specifi cally lower socioeconomic status and inadequate training by offi cially recognised trainers, authorised by the educational qualifi cations. For low-income families, a Washington Parenting Clinic. well-designed parent training programme which can provide group support, encouragement and address individual needs RESEARCH QUESTIONS can be invaluable. This article summarises the fi ndings of two of the research questions posed by Hamilton (2005): Another suggested ecological risk factor relates to ineffective 1. Why has the Incredible Years parent training programme or coercive parenting practices. Gerald Patterson of the become such a popular programme with agencies and Oregon Social Learning Centre noted that many young parents in the Tauranga area of New Zealand? children use whining or tantrums to get what they want and parents who give in to this behaviour inadvertently 2. How does the Incredible Years parent training negatively reinforce the child’s behaviour (cited in Patterson, programme, as a manual-based, empirically supported Reid, & Dishion, 1992; Reid & Eddy, 2002). Patterson’s (1995) therapy, incorporate the facilitators’ professional research shows clear links between early coercive behaviour judgment and cultural understandings in order to and continuing antisocial acts, including adolescent criminal meet the individual needs of New Zealand clients? behaviour and violence. Likewise, both the Christchurch METHODOLOGY Health and Development Study and the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study - Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Waikato longitudinal studies that have followed over a thousand before any of the research began. There were no identifi able New Zealanders from early childhood through to adulthood - confl icts of interest for the researcher when embarking on have found that children displaying early disruptive this study. The researcher had no prior involvement with the behaviour patterns,