 may not be mutually exclusive, for example, the child fights with a sibling as well as receives support from the sibling. Further, both risk and protective factors may not necessarily be characteristic of the child or the family across different contexts or settings.
Various models have been developed to explain the impact of risk factors on children exposed to traumatic situations. In the late1970s, Rutter demonstrated that children with a single risk factor were no more likely to exhibit adjustment problems than those with no risk factors. However, the addition of a second risk factor predicted a fourfold increase in the likelihood of negative outcomes. In other studies, the prediction of adjustment problems for children increased exponentially with the number of additional risk factors in the child’s environment. Thus, it appears that risk is related to the quantity as well as to the quality or strength of risk factors. Therefore, additive studies that aggregate risk factors (e.g., the presence of multiple forms of violence) may present the most informative view of risk factors.
Just as with protective factors, elements of risk may exist at each level of the system in which the individual functions, from individual features (e.g., young age, having a physical disability) to family risks (e.g., having a parent with a mental health problem) and community level risks (e.g., living in a violent neighborhood, violence at school). Finally, risks may be trans active or mutually influencing in nature, thus exponentially escalating their effects.
Research On Resilience, Risk, And Protective Factors
Much can be learned from research on children who cope successfully with other forms of adversity. By studying the features of children who appear to adapt in the face of severely distressing circumstances, researchers can develop new ways of promoting strengths and creating change in families where children are abused and maltreated. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate factors that may reduce or ameliorate, as well as contribute to, the negative impact of interpersonal violence on children.
Little is known about the life course of children who fare well despite exposure to interpersonal violence. Perhaps children who seem resilient in the immediate aftermath of witnessing violence may develop problems later in life. Conversely, children who appear to be suffering may do better over time. Such information could be used to develop intervention strategies as well as to anticipate outcomes for children. Additionally, because very few studies of resilience have specifically examined ethnicity and the cultural context of the family, extensive research is needed in this area.
Despite the gaps in current research, great strides have been made in recent decades. Only a few years ago, many researchers did not recognize the hardships children experience when exposed to violence. A broader understanding of interpersonal violence that incorporates both risk and protective factors may allow children to receive the assistance they need to live healthy lives in spite of exposure to family violence.
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- Rutter, M. (1985). Resilience in the face of adversity: Protective factors and resistance to psychiatric disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 598–611.
- Sameroff, A. J., Seifer, R.