Practitioners implementing evidence-based programs forever tread a fine line between adaptation and fidelity. When local culture affects the problems being addressed there is a temptation to develop different versions of the program for different racial and ethnic groups. But is it worth it?

“Innovate – but make sure it works and doesn’t harm anyone, and don’t expect any funding or freedom from regulations to do it.” That seems to be the message from government, at least when it comes to social work with children and families. Policy analyst Louise Brown looks at how this can be changed.

New research has found that violence between parents is enough to start a chain reaction of anti-social behavior in the generations that follow. Evidence from a 25-year study suggests how children – and even grandchildren – inherit this risk.

We know child outcomes can be improved by evidence-based parenting programs – but we know a lot less about how and why community agencies choose and use programs. To answer this question, a recent Canadian study explores the views of service providers and administrators.

Self-help parenting interventions, such as those delivered in written or multimedia formats, can improve children’s behavior, a new UK review suggests. As a low-cost and low-intensity intervention, self-help parent training could be suitable for parents on long waiting lists for therapist-led programs.

An analysis of the economic pay-offs of mental health strategies provides new tools for making tough funding decisions – and finds that programs can return up to £83 in savings for every £1 spent.

Do the victims of violence become its perpetrators later in life? New research from Finland suggests the relationship is more complicated, with important implications for preventive action.

Across the Western world, governments are investing in children. It sounds great: bigger and better early education programs lead to a pay-off not just for individual children but for society as a whole. So why aren’t children’s advocates happy with “social investment”?

Depression is estimated to cost $83bn in the US alone. Treating this major public health problem means pooling the skills of mental health and public health professionals, argues a Harvard psychologist.

The work of Paul Meier, a medical statistician and advocate of randomized controlled trials, is credited with saving millions of lives. He died last month at the age of 87.

The financial incentives in America’s juvenile justice system all point to imprisonment. But new research from Illinois indicates that changing them can cut the number of young people incarcerated.

Teachers can create a supportive classroom environment even when incoming students are aggressive, a recent study finds. However, even good classroom management may not be enough to prevent children from becoming aggressive when they are exposed to aggressive peers.

Excessive drinking among the young is a serious problem in the UK. But while current prevention programmes focus mainly on social influences, new research highlights the need to complement these with a focus on the personality factors which cause anxiety, depression and antisocial behaviour.

Recruiting clients into prevention programmes that tackle sensitive issues is hard but getting them to stay the course is even harder. An innovative project in Philadelphia shows that by using innovative methods, good results are possible.

Young people in the youth justice system, especially those in custody, present a variety of psychological and social problems, yet they are judged by their criminality rather than their needs. A recent report demonstrates how matters can be changed.

Present tough economic times make the greater use of effective programs uncertain but we have much to learn from how those responsible for policy implementation are guided and act.

A recent study conducted in schools in some of Montreal’s poorest neighbourhoods finds that combining a game aimed at reducing classroom disruption with improved teaching can boost attention and literacy skills in low-income students. But can it help children who are inattentive to start with become better readers?

A recent study conducted in schools in some of Montreal’s poorest neighbourhoods finds that combining a game aimed at reducing classroom disruption with improved teaching can boost attention and literacy skills in low-income students. But can it help children who are inattentive to start with become better readers?