Introduction

Many Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries have increased investment in parenting education (Churchill and Clarke, 2010). Focusing on UK developments, this chapter examines the policy and practice aims of one type of provision: group parenting programmes targeted at families with adolescent children. Drawing on the findings of a local programme evaluation, it contrasts policy, programme and service-user concerns about young people, parenting and families. While the discussion highlights the benefits participants gained from taking part in the parenting programme, it illustrates the limited way the programme engaged with and addressed parental concerns and young people's support needs. These limitations, it is argued, are related to tensions between a policy and programme focus on young people as troublesome to others (a problem to be addressed via parenting interventions), in contrast to the participants’ sense of their own and their children's ‘troubles’. The chapter initially considers the policy context and describes the local programme and evaluation study. It then turns to contrast programme and service-user perspectives, ending with reflections on wider policy and programme implications.

The policy context

The social consequences of ‘poor parenting’ became major policy issues under the former Labour government (1997–2010). Over three terms in office, these concerns led to significant investment in parenting education initiatives. Labour developed a spectrum of provision, with a substantial role for group parenting programmes. Consistent with its emphasis on evidence-based policy, Labour stressed the importance of using parenting programmes that had been subject to rigorous evaluation. Two influential programmes were the Australian Triple P programmes and the Webster Stratton programmes developed in the US – which have proved popular forms of provision (Churchill and Clarke, 2010).

These programmes use social learning theory and behavioural interventions to promote ‘authoritative parenting’, which is seen as the most desirable parenting style (Churchill and Clarke, 2010). In practice, most programmes served parents of pre-school children, but Labour also invested in provision for parents of adolescents, funded as part of policies to address youth anti-social behaviour and offending. Controversially, Labour introduced measures – Parenting Orders (POs) and Parenting Contracts (PCs) – that directed parents to engage with parenting programmes (sometimes in combination with other services) to address concerns about youth offending, anti-social behaviour and school attendance (see Churchill and Clarke, 2010).