Digital parenting support offers a scalable and cost-effective way to prevent violence against children and ensure happy families.
Headlines of violence and child abuse are commonplace in South Africa. The latest South African Police Service annual statistics show that 1 164 murders, 13 118 cases of common assault, and 21 837 cases of sexual offences against children were reported in 2023/24.
In 2022, over a million children nationwide aged five to 17, out of around 13 million schoolgoing children, reported having experienced some form of violence during their childhood. These alarming numbers continue despite sincere efforts by the government, civil society, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and communities.
There is ample evidence, locally and globally, documenting the impact of violence on children’s development and life trajectories. It is well established that children who are victims of violence have poorer health, employment and educational outcomes, and are more likely to perpetrate violence in adulthood. That is why preventing it or intervening as early as possible is critical in stopping the cycles of violence.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
Many children are victims of violence at the hands of their parents or caregivers – those meant to care for them. The family environment, in all its diversity, arguably shapes us most strongly as individuals. So nurturing, loving, emotionally responsive, and positive parent-child relationships are the cornerstone of enabling children’s development and success in adulthood.
Parenting is hard, and all parents need some kind of support. One effective way to do this, which is backed by compelling evidence from high-middle- and low-income countries, is through parenting and caregiver support.
Parenting programmes are designed to strengthen positive parent-child relationships and reduce risk factors for violence and abuse. They teach non-violent forms of discipline, foster bonding and healthy attachment, help with parental conflict resolution and stress management, and show how to communicate effectively in families. The absence of these and other factors often leads to stress, conflict and violence in the home.
Parenting support programmes are typically delivered in person through community or group-based interventions. Although effective, in-person delivery is expensive and requires significant human and organisational resources, which present challenges for expansion.
Digital parenting support has emerged as a groundbreaking way to overcome some of these challenges. Although the evidence base for digital delivery is still developing, existing results are promising.
At a recent Institute for Security Studies seminar, three speakers showcased different modalities of digital parenting support, and the advantages are compelling. Digital delivery gives users access to age-appropriate, practical guidance on parenting scenarios and child development tips at the click of a button.
Leveraging the power of technology, support can reach parents at an unprecedented scale, in low-resource settings and hard-to-reach places. Importantly, the content of digital delivery is adapted from existing in-person programmes.
Parentline South Africa, established by the South African Parenting Programme Implementers Network (SAPPIN), is a WhatsApp menu-based chatbot for light-touch support for caregivers. With roughly 1 200 users so far, it offers practical evidence-based guidance on day-to-day challenges like parental wellbeing, discipline and keeping children safe online. The bot responds in a warm and encouraging tone to allow users to feel supported.
Organisations offering parenting support can self-register on the chatbot platform. The system uses a caregiver’s postal code to identify local organisations in their area, and users seeking personal support can transition into a WhatsApp chat with a real NGO or receive referrals for in-person assistance.
This creates a hybrid approach that extends beyond digital support to connect families with local, trusted care networks. Caregivers can access Parentline SA by adding 087 813 4290 to their contacts, opening WhatsApp, locating the Parentline contact, and typing ‘Hi’ to begin.
ParentApp, developed by Parenting for Lifelong Health in collaboration with the Global Parenting Initiative, is an app-based parenting programme designed for parents of adolescents and young children.
The app was co-developed with input from users in nine African countries, including South Africa. It offers between nine and 16 modules of positive parenting content covering key topics such as managing conflict, handling crises and promoting parental wellbeing. The app is evidence-based, free to download, and open-source, allowing easy adaptation to different languages, contexts and target groups.
At just US$6 per family, ParentApp delivers accessible and affordable parenting support, providing a cost-effective alternative to traditional in-person programmes.
ParentApp for Teens was recently tested in the first-ever experiment of digital parenting support in a rural and peri-urban area of Mwanza, Tanzania, with 4 800 caregivers and their adolescents. Preliminary analyses suggest significant reductions in childhood sexual violence victimisation, child abuse, adolescent behavioural problems and improved parental mental health. Final analyses are underway and should be published later this year.
The various modalities of digital interventions, whether light-touch or in-depth modules, cater to parents’ individual needs.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Digital delivery is by no means perfect. Digital literacy and internet/data accessibility are key challenges, as is limited human interaction. To mitigate this, panellists highlighted two key points. First, digital parenting support should be accessible offline, like ParentApp, or have low data use. Parentline SA avoids using images or videos to keep data costs as low as possible.
Second, digital delivery is not aimed at replacing in-person programming. Ideally, it should be combined with in-person delivery. This allows users to receive training on how to navigate the digital platforms and helps maintain their engagement. However, a combined approach isn’t always feasible given the intended scale of digital delivery.
Happy children and families are how violence is prevented. In an ever-increasing digital world, these innovations are a valuable reminder of how technology can be used positively for human development.
Jody van der Heyde, Global INSPIRE Working Group Coordinator, Justice and Violence Prevention, ISS
Nicole Chetty, Project Manager, Global Parenting Initiative, Centre for Social Science Research, University of Cape Town
Karen Ross, Head of Programmes and Parentline South Africa, Mikhulu Child Development Trust and SAPPIN
Anna Booij, Head of Content Solutions, Clowns Without Borders South Africa