Alliance for the Protection of Children Project: A Systematic Research Review and Meta-Analysis
Summary — This report presents findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis of programs designed to prevent violence against children in Haiti and similar countries. The review identifies five types of programs with evidence of promising effects: psychosocial interventions, community-wide models, vocational and life skills training, parent/caregiver education, and safe spaces programs.
Key Findings
- Programs implemented in low-resource settings can effectively improve the physical and mental health of children.
- Psychosocial programs demonstrated the feasibility of scaling up strategies, such as offering short-term interventions and training lay professionals.
- Community-wide approaches in low-resource settings can effectively reduce violence rates and promote population health.
- Mental health interventions were typically of short duration and involved a cultural adaptation of a manualized psychotherapy program with trained nonclinical professionals.
- Vocational and life skills training programs show smaller effects than psychosocial support interventions.
Full Description
This systematic research review and meta-analysis synthesizes evidence on the effectiveness of programs designed to eliminate violence against children and adolescents and provide support to victims of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The review covers studies focusing on programs implemented in Haiti and other low-income countries, examining the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions, community-wide models, vocational and life skills training, parent/caregiver education, and safe spaces programs. The research team screened over 3,000 studies, identifying 41 that met inclusion criteria, with 12 included in the meta-analysis. Findings indicate that programs implemented in low-resource settings can effectively improve the physical and mental health of children and support their reintegration into communities.