Child advocacy paper: Overcoming the Odds

Resiliency

 Ability to bounce back after an adverse

experience

 Minimizes negative consequence of

adversity

 Two critical conditions:

 Exposure to significant threat or adversity

 Positive adaptation despite the threat

 Not all victims experience symptoms

 Many victims do relatively well in life

Resiliency Factors

 Intelligence, good school performance

 Competence: talents, skills

 Interpersonal skills: verbal, independent,

assertive, connections to others

 Spirituality

 Social support sources

 Accepts support

Resiliency Factors (cont.)

 Recognition that what occurred was

abuse

 Does not blame self for abuse

 Sense of control over future

 Positive coping strategies

 Goal oriented

 Active healing

 Achieve closure – process abuse; create narrative

Video: Overcoming the Odds

Intergenerational Transmission of

Partner Violence  Ehrensaft et al. (2003)

 Exposure to violence between parents and coercive punishment in childhood predicted perpetration of violence to partners later

 Exposure to violence between parents poses the greatest risk for being the victim of later partner violence

 A history of physical injury by a caretaker increases odds that person will use similar conflict resolution tactics in close relationships

Breaking the Cycle of Violence

 Acknowledging child abuse history

 See it as wrong

 Non-acceptance of parental belief system

 Determination to change

 Social support

 Supportive relationship with one parent

 The more the better

 Strong, supportive religious affiliation

 Positive school experiences

Breaking the Cycle of Violence

 Coping with effects of abuse

 Treatment

 Avoiding violent relationships

 Having children after age 21

 Developing infant parenting skills

 Positive attributions and realistic perceptions

 Quality of parenting behvaviors

 Positive school experiences

Video: “Violent Times”