Services are designed to foster positive family functioning and are available to the community at large. Secondary prevention is taking measures to keep child abuse and neglect from occurring after certain warning signs have appeared. Services and programs are designed to help identify families who are in circumstances where there is a high risk for abuse and provide services to them. Services are provided to prevent the recurrence of abuse and neglect. Research literature strongly suggests that primary prevention, made before problems develop, is by far the least expensive and most effective means of solving a wide range of social problems including child abuse and neglect.
Primary prevention is pro-active.
Providing help to parents before abusive or neglectful behavior begins is more effective than trying to correct abusive or neglectful habits once they develop. Primary prevention builds on the strengths of participants while focusing on developing their personal and social competencies. Primary prevention strengthens families and can help to prevent other social problems as well as prevent child abuse. Primary prevention is designed for everyone and is offered voluntarily. Primary prevention offers a variety of services for participants and encourages sharing between participants and providers of service.