Adversity, Maltreatment, and Resilience in Young Children

Abstract Background Much of the research on children in high risk environments, particularly those who have been maltreated, has focused on negative outcomes. Yet, much can be learned from some of these children who fare relatively well. The objective was to examine resilience in high-risk preschool...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Academic pediatrics 2016-04, Vol.16 (3), p.233-239
Main Authors: Dubowitz, Howard, MD, MS, Thompson, Richard, PhD, Proctor, Laura, PhD, Metzger, Richard, PhD, Black, Maureen M., PhD, English, Diana, PhD, Poole, Gina, MA, Magder, Lawrence, PhD
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
adversity
Child
Child Abuse - psychology
Child Abuse - statistics & numerical data
Child Behavior
Child Development
child maltreatment
Child Protective Services - statistics & numerical data
Child, Preschool
competencies
Depression - psychology
Female
Humans
Logistic Models
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine
Parents - psychology
Pediatrics
resilience
Resilience, Psychological
Social Behavior
Young Adult
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Summary:Abstract Background Much of the research on children in high risk environments, particularly those who have been maltreated, has focused on negative outcomes. Yet, much can be learned from some of these children who fare relatively well. The objective was to examine resilience in high-risk preschoolers, and to probe contributors to their adaptive functioning. Methods The sample of 943 families was from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect, a consortium of 5 sites, prospectively examining the antecedents and outcomes of maltreatment. Most of the families were at high risk for maltreatment, and many had been reported to Child Protective Services (CPS) by the time the children were aged 4 years. Standardized measures were used at ages 4 and 6 to assess the children's functioning in behavioral, social and developmental domains, and parental depressive symptoms and demographic characteristics. Maltreatment was determined on the basis of CPS reports. Logistic regressions were conducted to predict resilience, defined as competencies in all 3 domains, over time. Results Forty-eight percent of the sample appeared resilient. This was associated with no history of maltreatment (odds ratio = 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–2.20; P  = .04), a primary caregiver reporting few depressive symptoms (odds ratio = 2.19; 95% CI, 1.63–2.94; P  
ISSN:1876-2859
1876-2867
DOI:10.1016/j.acap.2015.12.005