In: Child abuse & neglect: the international journal ; official journal of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, Band 72, S. 247-257
The study of resilience has largely relied on definitions and conceptualizations of resilience produced by academia, with little of the knowledge produced being grounded in the experience and perspectives of those outside academia. The voices of marginalized and stressed populations are particularly rarely integrated into sanctioned institutional discourses of knowledge, reproducing inequality where these institutions have influence. Specifically, little research has explored the ways in which survivors of sex trafficking define and conceptualize resilience. Thus, academic inquiry into survivor resilience may risk missing what is important to survivors themselves regarding the issue. Using thematic analysis, this study explored survivors' responses to the question "What does 'resilience' mean to you?", which resulted in five themes: resilience as (1) resistance, (2) transition, (3) a sustained force over time, (4) transformation, and (5) resources. Participants defined resilience as being primarily a person-centered phenomenon, rather than a process-centered phenomenon, that was the output of their inherent and enduring personal power to survive or overcome and adversity, and to shape their lives in preferred ways despite adversity. Differing from academic definitions of resilience in several significant ways, participants conceptualized resilience as being promoted by external resources and opportunities but existent even in the absence of such resource and opportunities. Findings suggest that for resilience inquiry to resonate with survivors, it must first acknowledge the inherent power of survivors.
In: Child abuse & neglect: the international journal ; official journal of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, Band 81, S. 29-38
Abstract This article aims to investigate the impact of psychological distress and hopelessness as mediators in the relationship between alcohol use disorder (AUD) and suicidal ideation among young adults. The study employed data from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, focusing on participants aged 18 to 25. The PROCESS macro was used to conduct a moderated mediation analysis. The findings revealed that AUD, psychological distress, and hopelessness were all significant risk factors for suicidal ideation among young adults. Furthermore, psychological distress and hopelessness served as significant mediators in the relationship between AUD and suicidal ideation. The study highlights the need for interventions and treatments that address co-occurring alcohol use and psychological distress/hopelessness in both sexes, for young adults at risk of suicide. In summary, the study underscores the importance of recognizing the underlying factors that contribute to suicidal ideation among young adults, especially those with AUD, psychological distress, and hopelessness.
Neighborhoods have profound impacts on children and families. Using structural equation modeling and data from 4,898 children in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, the current study examines the direct and indirect effects of neighborhood poverty on the likelihood of being maltreated at age 5. Two neighborhood social processes, social cohesion and informal social control, were examined as mediators. The study found that neighborhood poverty was indirectly related to physical assault and psychological aggression through its impact on social cohesion, and indirectly related to neglect through its impact on informal social control. The results highlight the need to reduce poverty across communities and increase social cohesion and social control as potential pathways for interrupting the impact of neighborhood poverty on maltreatment.
AbstractThis is the first study to examine the mediating effects of deviant peer affiliation on the association between different types of child maltreatment and adolescent substance use that includes alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. Peer deviance is a well‐established correlate of adolescent substance use, but most studies exploring the relationship between child maltreatment and adolescent substance use have failed to include peer deviance. Structural equation modelling was conducted to examine the direct effects of each type of child maltreatment (i.e., physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and neglect) on adolescent substance use, as well as indirect effects via deviant peer affiliation, using Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect. The results indicated that deviant peer affiliation fully mediated the individuals who had been emotionally abused showed increased deviant peer affiliation, which in turn was associated with higher levels of adolescent substance use. None of the four types of child maltreatment was directly associated with adolescent substance use. The study's findings underscore the importance of early assessment and intervention for the peer relationships of youth who have been emotionally abused.
In: Child abuse & neglect: the international journal ; official journal of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, Band 118, S. 105130
Research has uncovered resilience as a dynamic and alterable process. However, few studies have examined resilience across the life span, particularly with men who are at high risk of a myriad of poor health outcomes. Study aims were to explore protective factors and resilience across the life span among a sample of socioeconomically disadvantaged men ( N = 32), considering the context of their lived experiences, using focus groups. Thematic analysis resulted in four themes: (a) mainstream protective factors (i.e., prosocial activities, generative opportunities, supportive adults, community investment), (b) context-specific protective factors (i.e., growing up early, criminal justice involvement, gang involvement), (c) demonstration of mainstream resilience, and (d) demonstration of context-specific resilience. This study adds to the limited body of resilience research with marginalized men. Findings point to targeted changes at the structural and environmental levels, in addition to individual-level interventions, to affect meaningful change in the lives of socioeconomically disadvantaged men.
In: Child abuse & neglect: the international journal ; official journal of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, Band 81, S. 139-148
While there is a growing body of research examining resilient development in adolescents with a history of maltreatment, it remains unclear whether youth resilient functioning changes over time and what factors predict such change. The current study aimed to identify the socio-ecological predictors of the change in resilient functioning over time among adolescents with a history of maltreatment. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted with a sample of 771 adolescents drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW-II). Over 18 months, 23.2% of the adolescents remained in the less resilience group, 45.4% stayed in the greater resilience group, 17.4% moved from the greater resilience group to the less resilience group, and 14.0% moved from the less resilience group to the greater resilience group. Younger age, better parent-child relationship quality, and neighborhood safety were associated with stable and continued resilient functioning over time. Conversely, child physical abuse, affiliation with deviant peers, and receipt of behavioral services were negatively associated with continued resilience. Our findings suggest that interventions that support adolescents in building positive relationships with their parents and peers may prevent a loss of resilience over time and ensure continued resilient functioning in child welfare-involved adolescents.