Power of ‘positive parenting’ reducing violence against children in Tanzania

A unique partnership between the Tanzanian Government’s Institute of Social Work (ISW) and the International Rescue Committee is working to educate parents on the harmful effects of violence on children’s development and equip them with skills to nurture their children’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive development.

The Healing Families project trains mentors in Dar es Salaam in ‘positive parenting’ skills, equipping them with the knowledge to roll-out specially designed parenting programmes across Tanzania. To date, over 900 parents have been trained in ‘positive parenting’.

The IRC’s specialised curriculum, which draws from over six years of implementation research across twelve countries, focuses on the powers of ‘positive parenting’ through the introduction of techniques parents can use to communicate, problem-solve and discipline their children effectively without the use of violence. Examples include the use of ‘time out’, distraction from harmful activities or bad behaviour, explaining why behaviour is wrong, or taking away a privilege.

Rigorous research evaluations of the IRC’s parenting programme conducted in partnership Harvard School of Public Health and Duke University highlights the effectiveness of the parenting programme. Research findings show that giving parents alternatives to harshly disciplining their children can reduce physical and verbal punishments by over 50%, and can lead to better relationships and less conflict within families and communities.

Working in partnership with the IRC, the ISW adapted the programme for Tanzanians, contextualising it with local songs and games, and the ISW — the Government’s major training institute — has now adopted the curriculum. Over 50 government officials and another 50 social workers graduating this year have been trained by the IRC and are now able to lead parenting skills groups as part of their daily work in Dar es Salaam. Lecturers at the ISW are also skilled in training future generations of social workers through the new course ‘Early Childhood Education’, which adopts the key evidence-based parenting skills from the IRC’s Healing Families curriculum.

Elijah Okeyo, the IRC’s Country Director in Tanzania, said: “We applaud this successful partnership between the Tanzanian Government and the IRC, and call on donors to support the government’s initiatives towards reducing violence against children and strengthening the social welfare system and institutions.”

Ms. Leah Omari, Head of the Department of Social Work at the ISW, said: “The new ‘Early Childhood Education’ course at ISW aims to prepare the next generations of social workers to enhance the skills of parents across Tanzania. We’re grateful to the IRC for helping our team to take forward this much-needed work.”

Violence against children in the home, such as harsh discipline, is damaging in all areas of a child’s development, including how they grow physically, how they learn at school and how they relate to people around them. In Tanzania, 75% of girls and boys reported experiencing physical violence before the age of 18. The harmful consequences of violence against children can also have long-term effects, leading to cycles of violence and negatively impacting the child’s future educational, psychological and economic wellbeing.

The IRC’s ‘positive parenting’ programmes in Tanzania are currently in Temeke, Dar es Salaam; Kasulu, Kigoma and refugees in Nyarugusu refugee camp.