Online Parent Training for Children With Behavior Disorders

Research has shown that parent-targeted interventions are effective in ameliorating
adolescent conduct disorders, substance abuse, HIV-risk, and related adolescent problem
behaviors. The meteoric rise of Internet use and recent advance in multimedia technology and
software combine to create new opportunities for disseminating evidence-based practices.
Parenting Wisely (PW; Gordon, 2000) is a computer-based intervention designed to prevent and
treat child disruptive behavior problems. This evidence-based approach fits easily into
existing juvenile justice, health, education, and mental health service delivery systems,
bypassing many of the current barriers to care. The investigators' Phase I study focused on
revising and enhancing PW with more culturally relevant content and imagery to broaden its
appeal to ethnically diverse populations. The findings revealed substantial improvements on
virtually all measures of parenting and child behavior and outcomes at 6 months were highly
significant and clinically meaningful. This Phase II study is designed to broaden the appeal
and potential reach of PW through a formal randomized trial conducted in collaboration with
the juvenile justice system (JJS), the primary market for such a program. Parents of 450
delinquent receiving JJS services as usual (SAU) will be randomly assigned to: PW plus a
social networking online discussion forum, PW alone, or SAU. PW is the first online
skill-building parent training program to examine effectiveness across different ethnic
cultural groups and offers a brief, low cost, accessible approach that could be easily and
quickly implemented and sustained in JJS settings. As such, the potential impact for
marketing PW and reducing child behavior problems is considerable. Phase II activities will
include the development of a moderated online forum to increase parental social support and
skill acquisition. The investigators will also determine the potential marketability of the
PW intervention to JJS programs based on the effects of PW on parent report and direct
observation measures of parenting behaviors, adolescent behaviors, and family functioning,
as well as measures of recidivism and cost savings. User satisfaction, program
comprehension, receptivity, and parent self-efficacy will also be assessed.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Parent of a 12-17 year old adolescent who has been referred to the juvenile justice
system for a legal offense (at least one police-generated report)

- Adolescent has been referred by a participating county in Oregon or Nevada

- Parent and adolescent live together at least 40% of the time

Exclusion Criteria:

- Parent has already enrolled or completed the study for another adolescent

- Read and speak a language other than English or Spanish