Evaluation of the Parent Centre's Positive Parenting Skills Training.

The PS is a self-report measure that can be used to assess dysfunctional discipline practices of parents of young children. It has been validated on a sample of parents who had children between the ages of 5-12 years. The scale is comprised of three factors: verbosity, overreactivity and laxness. It consists of 30 items which can be answered on a 7-point scale. Scale anchors vary per question but are essentially parenting mistakes paired with more effective parenting behaviours (e.g., "I often hold a grudge" vs. "things get back to normal quickly").

The PBI is a self-report measure that is suggested to reflect two dimensions of parenting behaviour: (1) hostile/coercive "behaviour which expresses negative affect or indifference toward the child" and could include using physical punishment, threat or coercion to influence child behaviour; and (2) supportive/engaged parenting which reflects parental acceptance of a child through signs of affection, instrumental and emotional support and shared activities. It is suitable for use with parents of children who are young school-age. The PBI consists of 20 items which can be answered on a 5-point Likert-type scale. Scale anchors range from "not at all true" to "very true".

The PARYC is a self-report measure which assesses the frequency of engagement with particular parenting behaviours towards children, on a 7-point Likert scale from "not at all" to "most of the time". It also determines whether performing this behaviour is seen as a problem for the parent with response options including either "yes" or "no". This evaluation will only utilise the Settling Limits subscale which consists of 7 items. The convergent validity of the scale is supported.

The ECBI can be used to assess behaviour problems in children from 2 to 16 years old. It is comprised of 36 items. Each item is assessed on two dimensions; how often it occurs (i.e., frequency) and identification of the behaviour as a problem for the parent. Frequency ratings are answered on a 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from "never occurs" to "always occurs". By summing these answers together one is provided with an overall problem behaviour Intensity Score. Parents when identifying whether a behaviour is a problem for them answer either "yes" or "no" when asked about the particular behaviour. These answers can also be summed to create a total Problem Score. There is ample evidence for the ECBI to be a psychometrically sound measure, demonstrating its validity and reliability in measuring child problem behaviours.

Only the Externalising Problem subscale of the CBCL/6-18 school age version will be used in this study. This subscale is made up of 35 items which assess aggressive and rule breaking behaviour. The subscale assesses such behaviours on a three-point Likert-type scale with options ranging from 0 "not true", to 2 "very true". There is strong support for this scale's psychometric properties.

This measure is a parent self-report. The PSOC's factor structure is composed of two dimensions of parenting self-esteem namely, efficacy and satisfaction. The scale consists of 17 items which can be answered on a 6-point Likert-type scale ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree." Some of these items are reverse scored. The scale and its respective subscales have demonstrated high levels of internal consistency. The subscale's convergent and divergent validity are also supported.

The CPRS is a self-report which assesses parent's perceptions of the relationships they have with their children (between 3-12 years). It consists of 15 items, which are answered on a 5-point Likert-type scale. The anchors for this scale range from "does not apply" to "definitely applies". The measure has two subscales; a conflict subscale assesses the extent to which a parent feels that their relationship with their child is characterised by negativity, and a closeness subscale which measures the degree to which a parent feels that the relationship with their child is characterised by open communication, warmth and affection. The scale has adequate evidence for reliability and validity, suggesting it is psychometrically sound.

The CHQ-ES is a parent-report. The CHQ measures 14 psychosocial and physical concepts, and is designed and normed for use with children between the ages of 5 and 18 years. Only the self-esteem concept will be used in this evaluation. This concept is comprised of 6 items, which parents can answer on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from "very satisfied" to "very dissatisfied". The scale determines how satisfied the parent thinks their child is with aspects of themselves and their lives. Internal consistency reliability in two samples (Australian and American) was found to be above α= 0.8 for this subscale.This scale also shows high levels of item discriminant validity.