The Power of Cinema: Study Shows Film Intervention Reduces Violence Against Children

A new study from McMaster University, in collaboration with community partners and researchers from Duke University, Oxford University, and Mahidol University, shows that screenings of a locally-produced narrative film about parenting led to a significant reduction in physical violence against children.

The research, published on Jan. 16, 2025 in The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia, aimed to promote positive parenting among families who have migrated or been displaced from Myanmar into Thailand. These families face extreme poverty and daily adversity, which can negatively impact parent-child relationships and family well-being.

Researchers partnered with the Sermpanya Foundation, a grassroots organization in Thailand that works with refugees and migrants, to create a 66-minute narrative drama film about parenting. The film was entirely created with and by refugees and migrants from the Thailand-Myanmar border, ensuring authenticity through community involvement.

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