Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14

The Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14 (SFP 10-14) is a family skills training intervention designed to enhance school success and reduce youth substance use and aggression among 10- to 14-year-olds. It is theoretically based on several etiological and intervention models including the bio-psychosocial vulnerability, resiliency, and family process models. The program includes seven 2- hour sessions and four optional booster sessions in which parents and youth meet separately for instruction during the first hour and together for family activities during the second hour. The sessions provide instruction for parents on understanding the risk factors for substance use, enhancing parent-child bonding, monitoring compliance with parental guidelines and imposing appropriate consequences, managing anger and family conflict, and fostering positive child involvement in family tasks. Children receive instruction on resisting peer influences to use substances. Sessions, which are typically held once a week, can be taught effectively by a wide variety of staff.