Parenting skills training on Thai-Burmese border

A research project conducted among migrant and displaced Burmese families on the Thai-Burmese border found that, even in adverse situations, brief interventions can improve parenting practices, caregiver-child relationships, and family functioning, and can reduce child behavior problems. The study also found that such interventions may have the potential to boost child resilience, promote caregiver mental health, and reduce family violence.

The findings were reported in a research brief, “Building Happy Families,” co-authored by Theresa Betancourt, associate professor of child health and human rights at Harvard School of Public Health, and Eve Puffer of Duke University. The study examined the impact of a 12-week parenting and family skills intervention conducted in 20 communities in Tak province, Thailand, from 2011 to 2013.

The project was implemented by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Thailand and supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The report was released to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Read the IRC report

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