Effects of an asynchronous, fully web‐based parenting‐after‐divorce program to reduce interparental conflict, increase quality of parenting and reduce children's post‐divorce behavior problems

• Published date: 01 July 2022
• Author: Sharlene A. Wolchik,Irwin N. Sandler,Emily B. Winslow,Michele M. Porter,Jenn‐Yun Tein
• Date: 01 July 2022
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12620

ARTICLE

Effects of an asynchronous, fully web-based

parenting-after-divorce program to reduce

interparental conflict, increase quality of

parenting and reduce children's post-divorce

behavior problems

Sharlene A. Wolchik | Irwin N. Sandler | Emily B. Winslow |

Michele M. Porter | Jenn-Yun Tein

REACH Institute, Psychology Department,

Arizona State University, Tempe,

Arizona, USA

Correspondence

Sharlene A. Wolchik, REACH Institute,

Psychology Department, Arizona State

University, Tempe, AZ, USA.

Email: wolchik@asu.edu

Abstract

This study is a randomized controlled trial of an asynchronous,

fully web-based program for divorced and separated parents,

the electronic New Beginnings Program (eNBP). This program

is an adaptation of a group, in-person program for divorced

parents, the New Beginnings Program (NBP), which has been

shown in randomized trials to reduce a wide range of offspring

problems and improve a wide range of competencies up to

15 years after participation. The 10-module, 5-h program uses

evidence-based, highly interactive strategies to teach skills

designed to strengthen parenting after divorce and reduce

interparental conflict. Participants were 131 parents (63%

mothers) and 102 adolescent offspring. Parents were ran-

domly assigned to the eNBP or a wait-list control condition.

Parents and their children completed pre- and post-tests. Ana-

lyses showed that at post-test, parents and children in the

eNBP reported significantly higher parent–child relationship

quality, more effective discipline, lower interparental conflict

and lower child mental health problems than did those in the

wait-list control condition. These are the strongest findings in

theliteratureontheeffectsof web-based programs to reduce

interparental conflict, strengthen positive parenting and

DOI: 10.1111/fcre.12620

© 2022 Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

474 Family Court Rev. 2022;60:474–491.

wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fcre

reduce children's post-divorce mental health problems. Given

that parental divorce has significant individual and societal

costs, widespread implementation of this program could have

significant public health implications.

KEYWORDS

Child Mental Health Problems, Improving Post-divorce Parenting,

Parent Education for Divorced/Separated Families, Prevention

programs for Divorced/Separated Families, Reducing Post-

divorce Interparental Conflict

Key points for the family court community

•A fully web-based parenting-after-divorce program

reduced interparental conflict, increased quality of par-

enting and reduced children's post-divorce behavior

problems as reported by both parents and children.

•Web-based programs to improve parenting can be a

cost-effective approach to promote children's post-

divorce adjustment.

•Widespread implementation of easily accessible, web-based

parenting-after-divorce programs can significantly reduce

the negative impact of divorce on children's outcomes.

INTRODUCTION

This paper describes the evaluation of a randomized controlled trial of an asynchronous, fully web-based parenting-

after-divorce/separation program, the eNew Beginnings Program (eNBP). The development and evaluation of web-

based programs advance the goal of making evidence-based parent education programs widely accessible

(e.g., Salem et al., 2013; Schramm & Becher, 2020). Below, we briefly review data on the prevalence and effects of

parental divorce. Next, we discuss the research on group-based parenting-after-divorce programs and the limited

research on web-based programs for divorced/separated parents. Then, we discuss how the current study addresses

gaps in research on web-based parenting programs for divorced/separated families. Next, we describe the New

Beginnings Program (NBP), the program on which the eNBP was based, and the current study.

Parental divorce or separation is the second most prevalent adverse childhood event (Sacks et al., 2014). About

1 million children have experienced parental divorce every year since the 1970's (Kreider & Ellis, 2011) and many

more children experience the separation of parents who never married. Although most children do not experience

significant problems after the divorce, this transition increases their risk of experiencing a wide range of problems.

They have greater internalizing (e.g., depression) and externalizing (e.g., aggression) problems (e.g., Weaver &

Schofield, 2015), substance use problems (e.g., Jackson et al., 2016), physical health problems (e.g., Thuen

et al., 2015) and academic difficulties (e.g., Amato & Anthony, 2014) than their counterparts in married families. One

of the very few examinations of a national cohort to follow children from birth to adulthood found that the problems

associated with parental divorce continue into adulthood for a sizeable minority and that differences between

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