Triple P

The Triple P-Positive Parenting Program is a multi-level, preventively-oriented parenting and family support strategy developed by the authors and colleagues at The University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. The program aims to prevent severe behavioural, emotional and developmental problems in children by enhancing the knowledge, skills and confidence of parents.

The program content draws on the following:

1. Social learning models of parent-child interaction that highlight the reciprocal and bidirectional nature of parent child interactions.
2. Research in child and family behaviour therapy and applied behaviour analysis.
3. Developmental research on parenting in everyday contexts
4. Social information processing models that highlight the important role of parental cognitions such as attributions, expectancies and beliefs.
5. Research from the field of developmental psychopathology that has identified specific risk and protective factors that are linked to adverse developmental outcomes in children.
6. A population health perspective to family intervention that involves the explicit recognition of the role of the broader ecological context for human development.

The group goals are:

1. To increase parents’ competence in managing common behavior problems and developmental issues
2. To reduce parents’ use of coercive and punitive methods of disciplining children
3. To reduce parenting stress associated with raising children

The Triple P groups are structured as follows:

1. Introduction, What is Positive Parenting, Causes of Child Behaviour Problems, Goals for change, Keeping track of children’s behaviours
2. Promoting children’s development, developing positive relationships with children, encouraging desirable behaviour, teaching new skills and behaviours
3. Managing misbehaviour, developing parenting routines
4. Planning ahead, family survival tips, high risk situations, planned activities routines
5. Telephone session – Implementing parenting routines
6. Telephone session – Implementing parenting routines continued
7. Program close – phasing out the program, progress review, maintenance of change, problem solving for the future, future goals, celebration