Online Parental Guidance for parents of teenagers: an intervention model
online parental guidance; parenting practices; adolescence; social assistance; public policy.
Parenting practices represent an important variable in the psychosocial development of children, functioning as a risk or protection factor for the occurrence of behavior problems. Therefore, it is extremely important to promote positive parenting practices and expand interventional studies that contribute to this purpose. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention aimed at guiding parenting practices for caregivers of adolescents in a situation of socioeconomic vulnerability. For this, a research was carried out using a mixed method (quanti + quali), of a descriptive and exploratory nature, with 36 participants, being 24 (20 mothers, 3 fathers and 1 legal guardian) in the experimental group (EG) and 12 (100 % mothers) in the control group (CG). The instruments used include the sociodemographic questionnaire, the Parenting Styles Inventory (IEP) and a questionnaire with open questions about the intervention performed. Quantitative analyzes were conducted using the R language, while qualitative analyzes were carried out using content analysis. The results of the quantitative analysis did not indicate statistically significant changes in parenting practices after the intervention, in the comparison between EG and CG. However, the comparison of repeated measures in the CG indicated significant differences in the dimensions Moral Behavior (d=-0.449), Neglect (d=0.440), Inconsistent Punishment (d=0.434), Negative Monitoring (d=0.709) and Physical Abuse (d=0.502). The result of the content analysis allowed the thematic grouping into four categories of analysis: 1) Difficulties and advantages of online service; 2) Technical aspects of the Interventions: guidelines and conduction; 3) Aspects of the effectiveness of interventions: observed changes; 4) Suggestions: improvement points. The results found point to positive changes, initially in the cognitive field (self-monitoring, changes in the way of thinking about the relationship) and also in the dialogue between parents and children. Most participants positively evaluated the way the intervention was conducted and the fact that it was online. The suggestions made by the participants propose the continuity of the project, the expansion of the number of sessions and the participation of the teenager as well. The study makes an important contribution to the expansion of interventional research with parents of adolescents, especially in the online modality. Furthermore, studies with mixed methods enhance the findings and may be relevant in deepening the phenomenon studied.