Effects of a First Grade Classroom Preventive Intervention on Parenting Behaviors 30 Years Later.

Overview

Effective early school-based prevention programs can shift behavioral outcomes, not just across the life course, but across generations; however, few studies have sufficient follow-up to test this. Here, we assess the impact of an early preventive intervention on later parenting practices. Participants were part of a randomized trial of two elementary school prevention programs to prevent aggressive and disruptive behavior in first grade, who were followed into adulthood. Participants who became parents (52%) participated in additional data collection about parenting at ages ~ 31-34. Results generally suggest null findings between elementary school-based prevention programming and parenting in adulthood. However, females who received a classroom-based intervention had significantly higher levels of constructive parenting as compared to females in the control condition. These findings suggest that the benefits of early prevention programming may accrue across multiple generations.