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December 8, 2004
Australian Program Combats Anti-Social Behavior
in Children with Parenting Contracts |
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A government initiative aimed at stemming anti-social
behavior in youngsters includes the utilization of parenting contracts. The $1.3 AU
million dollar program called “ParentSupport” targets families with children
aged 15 and younger who are truant, offend, and have poor interpersonal skills. The core
tenet of the pact is that responsible parenting leads to reduced juvenile offending.
Participation in the program is voluntary, with parents collaborating with service
providers to modify negative behavior in children.
The agreement stipulates that adult participants take a series of parenting classes, as
well as attend mentoring and counseling sessions. Families in the program are referred for
services by the state departments of education, justice, police, housing or community
development.
Parents who fail to adhere to the mandates of the contract or refuse assistance could face
a $2,000 AU fine. Disciplinary action is only considered if all venues to parental
compliance had been exhausted. Further action such as temporary removal of the child is
possible.
Authors of the initiative assert that while parents cannot be held entirely responsible
for the actions of their children, past studies have shown that parenting practices and
external community influences are highly linked to child outcomes—good and bad.
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