Examining the effects of family training program on family functions

The family, which is the smallest unit of the society, is affected by the historical, cultural and economic changes. In this changing world, it has been necessary to modify the roles of parenting. Nowadays, it is not sufficient for parents to bring up their children by just supplying their basic physical needs (norishment, shelter, safety and love) but it has also become important to raise them so that they are equipped to "stand on their own feet" in an ever-changing world. Having healthy and functional family relationships is also a basic requirement for becoming emotionally and psychologically healthy individuals. Being in a family environment, which is open to communication and is democratic, in which the family members set the rules in collaboration with each other so that tasks are completed reciprocally; are important factors for building trust among the members of the family, and the self-confidence of each member. It is possible for family members to treat the problems they encounter as opportunities to strengthen the unity of the family, and not as crises when families are dynamic systems, which are open to change and progress. A family like this is functional and healthy. Children brought up in family environments which provide this safety, will be psychologically healthy. The marriages in these families will also continue healthily and functionally. The general aim of this study is to analyse the effect of the family training programme on family functions. Its aim is to strengthen the role-model aspect of the parents, so that they are aware of the change they create on their child's' behaviours and attitudes when they themselves have changed their own behaviours and attitudes, and by achieving this, to make a positive contribution to the functionality of the family. Parents must be supported in order to maintain the functionality of the family. Training programs, which are structured and have been validated for effectiveness, are required in this field. In this study, while trying to test the effectiveness of the family functions, the effectiveness of the Family Training Program for Ages 07-19 has also indirectly been tested. The increase in divorces nowadays has resulted in children living with only one parent and having limited relationships with the other parent, which in return may lead to an interruption of the role modelling of this other parent. This situation is a factor that has a negative effect on family functioning. In this study the effect of parent training on family functions has been analysed with an experimental design. The study group consisted of 60 (sixty) person who volunteered. The independent variable of the study has been the Family Training Program for Ages 07-19, which has been structured with the collaboration of The Republic of Turkey Ministry of Education, and the UNICEF. The study group have taken the training program that has been carried out as consecutive eight sessions, each session lasting a hundred of eighty minutes each week. The dependent variable of the study has been the Family Evaluation Scale, which has been administered to the experimental study group before and after the training. In addition to these, the experimental study group has been asked to write down their learning outcomes after the training, and these have been used in the study as qualitative data. The SPSS 16.0 statistical package programme has been used to analyse the data. The comparisons of the participants' Family Evaluation Scale and subscale scores according to their demographic properties have been analysed with the t-test technique. The correlative relationship between the variables has been analysed with the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient technique. The pre-study test scores of the experimental study group and control groups' family functions (problem-solving skills, communication skills, parenting roles, the emotional response levels, the parents' abilities to give their children the necessary attention, the parents' behavioural control abilities, and the overall functions of the family) have been compared. According to this comparison between the experimental study group and control group, a "p<0.05" statistically significant difference has been found only between the pre-test scores of the parents' emotional response levels, and behavioural control abilities. The analysis of the experimental study group's Family Evaluation Scale has identified no statistically significant difference at the total scale scores, in any of the subscales. The reasons of not finding any difference between experimental group and control groups may be attributed to the higher education and socio- economical levels among the parents attending the experimental group, as well as their higher level of readiness, and knowledge regarding the topics covered at the family training. Even though the statistics have shown that the training has not provided any benefits to the participants, based upon the qualitative data, there is a need for a structured training program to be performed, in a consecutive manner, so that the family functions can be increased and strengthened. There is a need for a family training programme in order to improve parenting abilities especially in lower-class and middle-class environments where there are high rates of early marriage, immigration and intense violence behaviours. Providing these needs to the society should not be expected only from schools. The municipalities and various institutions and organizations should cooperate in order to implement a structured programme.