Voluntary or required viewing of a violence prevention program in pediatric primary care

Participants were parents of children less than 7 years of age who presented with their child for a well child visit. Viewed in the waiting room, the intervention was Play Nicely, which teaches childhood aggression management skills. A total of 138 parents were invited to view the program; 57 (41%) accepted (voluntary group). A second group of 35 parents viewed the program as part of the clinic visit (required group); all 35 (100%) accepted. There were no differences between the groups in the proportion of parents who were pleased that the program was offered by their pediatrician (100%) and the proportion who felt more comfortable managing aggression after the viewing experience (94%). Approximately 75% of both groups reported an increased willingness to discuss child behavior and discipline strategies with their pediatrician. These findings have implications for how providers can more routinely introduce educational material into the well child visit that relates to childhood aggression, discipline, and violence prevention.