Child abuse is a serious problem facing society and children in poorer communities are among the most vulnerable. Inge Wessels, a Doctoral student in the UCT Department of Psychology, has been investigating early intervention programmes as part of her postgraduate research. She was recently awarded the prestigious Society for Research in Child Development Patrice L. Engle Dissertation Grant for Global Early Childhood Development to support her research on barriers and facilitators to engaging in parenting programmes in low-income contexts. 

The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Grant aims to honour the legacy of Patrice L. Engle by supporting students who are interested in a career in global early child development and, who are conducting research in low- or middle-income countries. The grant includes $5,000 to support dissertation research and a 2-year student membership to SRCD, which is a multi-disciplinary, non-profit and professional association of human development professionals. The Grant was established through generous donations from the Bernard van Leer Foundation, the Open Society Foundation as well as the Engle family and friends.

Wessels research interest lies in understanding the predictors of participation in parental programmes and, how engagement influences parental outcomes following these programmes. Her research forms part of the Sinovuyo Caring Families Project, which involves the development and testing of a parenting programme to reduce the risk of child abuse for high-risk families with children aged between 2 and 9 years. She says that she has been interested in child and family intervention programmes since the very start of her postgraduate studies at the University of Cape Town. “My interest in these interventions comes from the considerable evidence base showing that they can prevent a range of negative outcomes for children, including child behavioural problems. Issues of engagement have always interested me as even programmes that have been proven to be effective often experience low enrolment and retention of parents. I am keen to explore why this is the case and to learn how we can design and implement programmes that enable high levels of engagement” says Wessels.

Her research findings will provide valuable insight into the effective recruitment and retention of parents to parenting programmes in low-income communities. This will not only increase the likelihood of providing services to the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach families but also enable the optimal use of scarce resources.

“Receiving this award means a great deal to me, both personally and professionally. Since I am working towards a career in global early childhood development, this award aligns perfectly with my interests and goals. Through being a member of the Society for Research in Child Development, I have access to invaluable opportunities to network with a range of human development researchers and practitioners from different contexts” says Wessels.

Her academic supervisor, Dr. Catherine Ward, agrees. “Patrice Engle was a world leader among scientists studying child development, who championed the rights of children and their parents throughout her long and illustrious career.  It is a real feather in Miss Wessels's cap, and in UCT's, for her to have achieved this. Only four awards are made each year globally, and it is wonderful that one has come to UCT in 2015” said Prof Ward (Head, UCT Department of Psychology).