SER-ES: La Paz Empieza en Casa – Evaluation of an Intervention Program to Reduce Corporal Punishment and Parenting Stress, and to Enhance Positive Parenting Among Colombian Parents

Background: Violent parenting is strongly associated with negative developmental outcomes and increased parenting stress. Despite this, few interventions effectively reduce harsh parenting while also promoting positive parenting strategies. This study evaluated the SERES: La paz empieza en casa program, designed to reduce physical punishment and parental stress, and to foster emotional support, inductive discipline, and parental monitoring. Method: Using a 12-month quasi-experimental longitudinal design, the study involved an intervention group (n = 21) and a control group (n = 17). Standardized instruments were administered at pretest and posttest to evaluate changes in parenting behavior, emotional regulation, and child behavior perception. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) were used to model nonlinear relationships and classify group membership. Results: The intervention group exhibited notable improvements in parenting practices and emotional regulation. The ANN model accurately classified participants with a 74.6% success rate. Key predictive variables included emotional suppression, physical punish-ment, and parental support and acceptance. Conclusions: The findings support the effectiveness of the SERES program in reducing harmful parenting behaviors and promoting positive practices. Additionally, the use of AI models proved valuable for understanding complex behavioral changes, offering a promising approach for optimizing interventions aimed at strengthening parenting and preventing family violence.