https://aub.ie/MilitaryREACH-MitnickEtAl2021

Mitnick, D. M., Heyman, R. E., Slep, A. M. S., Lorber, M. L., & Dills, A. L. (2021). Evidence-based social work outreach to military leaders to facilitate intimate partner violence and child maltreatment identification and referral: An evaluation. Journal of Family Social Work, 24(4), 320–338. https://doi.org/10.1080/10522158.2021.1974141

This study explored the effectiveness of a new Air Force (AF) family maltreatment training. Using a sample of 125 service providers and military personnel (e.g., commanders), family maltreatment attitudes were assessed across a series of measures before and after the training (e.g., justifying intimate partner violence [IPV], justifying parent-child aggression, belief in the effectiveness of parent-child aggression, self-efficacy to address maltreatment, and knowledge of family maltreatment). Participants also reported their impressions of the Family Advocacy Program (FAP) and their satisfaction with the training. The program was successful in providing participants with the knowledge and skillset to effectively recognize cases of IPV and child maltreatment.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10522158.2021.1974141

Couples
Child maltreatment
Children
Physical health
Parents
Programming

Air Force

Active Duty

Active duty service member

Young adulthood (18 - 29 yrs)
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)

Quantitative Study

Mitnick, Danielle M., Heyman, Richard E., Slep, Amy M. Smith, Lorber, Michael L., Dills, Ashley L.

The effects of family maltreatment on the military are far-reaching and well documented, with implications that include the deterioration of mission readiness and an increase in distractibility for all involved. Congress has mandated each service agency to take steps in preventing partner and child maltreatment, including outreach – enlisting military leaders to identify, respond to, and mitigate risk factors for maltreatment in their active duty (AD) members – but the success and impact of these efforts have gone mostly unexamined. This article explores the implementation and evaluation of a new Air Force (AF) family maltreatment training based on empirical and military-specific evidence of prevalence, risk and protective factors, and the impact on military families. This project sought to optimize and standardize such trainings across bases in an interactive manner. As expected, the training led to significantly greater knowledge about family maltreatment, significantly lower belief in the justification of both IPV and parent–child aggression, significantly lower belief in the effectiveness of parent–child aggression to solve problems, significantly increased self-efficacy to help prevent and address family maltreatment on the base, and marginally significantly more positive beliefs about Family Advocacy Program (FAP). Additionally, satisfaction with the training was very high.

Taylor & Francis

Article
REACH Publication

Family Translational Research Group, New York University, DMM
Family Translational Research Group, New York University, REH
Family Translational Research Group, New York University, AMSS
Family Translational Research Group, New York University, MLL
Family Translational Research Group, New York University, ALD