Abstract
Protective factors are qualities of individuals and conditions in families and communities that serve to preserve and promote child and family well-being. They function as buffers, mitigating risk for child abuse and neglect and promoting resilience, which is the ability to successfully and positively adapt to circumstances that threaten well-being. In this chapter, the authors draw on literature from within and beyond the field of child maltreatment prevention to present findings that can inform prevention efforts. The chapter addresses: (1) the emergence of protective factors and resilience as a focus of practice and research, (2) the growing evidence of the importance of focusing on protective factors and resilience in child maltreatment prevention, (3) examples of innovative programming and research efforts that specifically focus on strengthening families by promoting protective factors and enhancing resilience, (4) how these types of promotional approaches can be taken to scale, and (5) research and policy initiatives with the potential to inform program planning.
Keywords
- Protective factors
- Resilience
- Strengths-based approaches
- Promotion of child wellbeing
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.
Buying options
References
Administration on Children, Youth and Families. (2013). Protective factors for populations served by the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families: A literature review and theoretical framework. Washington, DC: Author.
Ammerman, R. T. (1991). The role of the child in physical abuse: A reappraisal. Violence and Victims, 6(2), 87–101.
Baker, A. J. L., Piotrkowski, C. S., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (1999). The home instructional program for preschool youngsters (HIPPY). The Future of Children, 9(1), 116–133.
Be Strong Families. (2014). Parent cafe results/impact. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from http://www.bestrongfamilies.net/build-protective-factors/parent-cafes/parent-cafe-results-impact/
Beeman, S. K. (1997). Reconceptualizing social support and its relationship to neglect. Social Service Review, 71(3), 421–440.
Benard, B. (1991). Fostering resiliency in kids: Protective factors in the family, school, and community. Portland: Western Center for Drug-Free Schools and Communities.
Bender, E. (2008). APA survey documents extent of MH problems in military. Psychiatric News, 43(11), 2–37.
Bernard, K., Dozier, M., Bick, J., Lewis-Morrarty, E., Lindhiem, O., & Carlson, E. (2012). Enhancing attachment organization among maltreated children: Results of a randomized clinical trial. Child Development, 83(2), 623–636.
Berndt, T. J., & Ladd, G. W. (1989). Peer relationships in child development. New York: Wiley.
Bryant, D., Bernier, K., Peisner-Feinberg, E., & Maxwell, K. (2002). Smart start and child care in North Carolina: Effects on quality and changes over time. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, FPG Child Development Institute.
Bryant, D., Maxwell, K., Taylor, K., Poe, M., Peisner-Feinberg, E., & Bernier, K. (2003). Smart start and preschool child care quality in North Carolina: Change over time and relation to children’s readiness. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, FPG Child Development Institute.
Byers, K., McDonald, T., & Lindeman, D. (2013). Strengthening families to buffer toxic stress: A biobehavioral approach to screening and intervention for the promotion of child social-emotional wellbeing. Lawrence: University of Kansas.
Cancian, M., Slack, K. S., & Yang, M. Y. (2010). The effect of family income on risk of child maltreatment. Institute for Research on Poverty Discussion Paper No. 1385–10. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from http://www.irp.wisc.edu/publications/dps/pdfs/dp138510.pdf
Cargo, M., & Mercer, S. L. (2008). The value and challenges of participatory research: Strengthening its practice. Annual Review of Public Health, 29, 325–350.
Carter, N., & Harvey, C. (1996). Gaining perspective on parenting groups. Zero to Three, 16(6), 3–8.
Cassidy, J., Ziv, Y., Stupica, B., Sherman, L. J., Butler, H., Karfgin, A., et al. (2010). Enhancing attachment security in the infants of women in a jail-diversion program. Attachment & Human Development, 12(4), 333–353.
Center for Child and Family Policy. (2009). Multiple response system (MRS) evaluation report to the North Carolina division of social services (NCDSS). Durham, NC: Duke University, Center for Child and Family Policy.
Center for the Study of Social Policy. (2014). Using café conversations to build protective factors and parent leadership. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from http://www.cssp.org/reform/strengthening-families/2014/using-caf-conversations-to-build-protective-factors-and-parent-leadership.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Essentials for childhood: Steps to create safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/essentials_for_childhood_framework.pdf
Chandra, A., Sandraluz, L. C., Jaycox, L. H., Tanielian, T., Burns, R. M., Ruder, T., & Han, B. (2010). Children on the homefront: The experience of children from military families. Pediatrics, 125(1), 16–25.
Cicchetti, D., & Garmezy, N. (1993). Prospects and promises in the study of resilience. Development and Psychopathology, 5, 497–502.
Conger, R. D., Schofield, T. J., Neppl, T. K., & Merrick, M. T. (2013). Disrupting intergenerational continuity in harsh and abusive parenting: The importance of a nurturing relationship with a romantic partner. Journal of Adolescent Health, 53(4, Supplement), S11–S17.
RAND Corporation. (2011). Building community resilience to disasters: A roadmap to guide local planning. Santa Monica: Author. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_briefs/2011/RAND_RB9574.pdf.
Daro, D. (1988). Confronting child abuse. New York: The Free Press.
Daro, D. (1993). Child maltreatment research: Implications for program design. In D. Cicchetti & S. Toth (Eds.), Child abuse, child development, and social policy (pp. 331–367). Norwood: Ablex.
Daro, D. (2002). Educating and changing parents: Strengthening the primary safety net for children. In K. Browne, H. Hanks, P. Stratton, & C. Hamilton (Eds.), Early prediction and prevention of child abuse: A handbook (pp. 127–144). West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons.
Daro, D., & Cohn, A. (1988). Child maltreatment evaluation efforts: What have we learned? In G. Hotaling, D. Finkelhor, J. Kirkpatrick, & M. Straus (Eds.), Coping with family violence: Research and policy perspectives (pp. 275–287). Newbury Park: Sage.
Daro, D., & Cohn-Donnelly, A. (2002). Child abuse prevention: Accomplishments and challenges. In J. Myers, L. Berliner, J. Briere, T. Hendrix, C. Jenny, & T. Reid (Eds.), APSAC handbook on child maltreatment (2nd ed., pp. 431–448). Newbury Park: Sage.
Daro, D., & Dodge, K. A. (2009). Creating community responsibility for child protection: Possibilities and challenges. Future of Children, 19(2), 67–93.
Dozier, M., Peloso, E., Lindhiem, O., Gordon, M. K., Manni, M., Sepulveda, S., et al. (2006). Developing evidence-based interventions for foster children: An example of a randomized clinical trial with infants and toddlers. Journal of Social Issues, 62(4), 765–783.
Dozier, M., Peloso, E., Lewis, E., Laurenceau, J., & Levine, S. (2008). Effects of an attachment-based intervention on the cortisol production of infants and toddlers in foster care. Development and Psychopathology, 20(3), 845–859.
Dozier, M., Lindhiem, O., Lewis, E., Bick, J., Bernard, K., & Peloso, E. (2009). Effects of a foster parent training program on young children’s attachment behaviors: Preliminary evidence from a randomized clinical trial. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 26(4), 321–332.
Drake, B., & Pandey, S. (1996). Understanding the relationship between neighborhood poverty and specific types of child maltreatment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 20(11), 1003–1018.
Earvolino-Ramirez, M. (2007). Resilience: A concept analysis. Nursing Forum, 42(2), 73–82.
Egeland, B., Bosquet, M., & Chung, A. L. (2002). Continuities and discontinuities in the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment: Implications for breaking the cycle of abuse. In K. Browne, H. Hanks, P. Stratton, & C. Hamilton (Eds.), Early prediction and prevention of child abuse: A handbook (pp. 217–232). West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons.
Everett, J. E., Homstead, K., & Drisko, J. (2007). Frontline worker perceptions of the empowerment process in community-based agencies. Social Work, 52(2), 161–170.
Fraiberg, S., Adelson, E., & Shapiro, V. (1975). Ghosts in the nursery: A psychoanalytic approach to the problems of impaired infant-mother relationships. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 14(3), 387–421.
Garmezy, N. (1974). The study of competence in children at risk for severe psychopathology. In E. J. Anthony & C. Koupernik (Eds.), The child in his family: Children at psychiatric risk (3rd ed., Vol. III, pp. 77–97). Oxford: John Wiley & Sons.
Gebbie, K., Rosenstock, L., & Hernandez, L. M. (2003). Who will keep the public healthy?: Educating public health professionals for the 21st century. Washington, DC: Institute of Medicine.
Gewirtz, A. H. (2007). Promoting children’s mental health in family supportive housing: A community-university partnership for formerly homeless children and families. Journal of Primary Prevention, 28, 359–374.
Gibbs, D. A., Martin, S. L., Kupper, L. L., & Johnson, R. E. (2007). Child maltreatment in enlisted soldiers’ families during combat-related deployments. Journal of the American Medical Association, 298, 528–535.
Goff, B. S. N., Crow, J. R., Reisbig, A. M. J., & Hamilton, S. (2007). The impact of individual trauma symptoms of deployed soldiers on relationship satisfaction. Journal of Family Psychology, 21, 344–353.
Herrenkohl, T. I., Klika, J. B., Brown, E. C., Herrenkohl, R. C., & Leeb, R. T. (2013). Tests of the mitigating effects of caring and supportive relationships in the study of abusive disciplining over two generations. Journal of Adolescent Health, 53(4, Supplement), S18–S24.
Hoelting, J., Sandell, E., LeTourneau, S., Smerlinder, J., & Stranik, M. (1996). The MELD experience with parent groups. Zero to Three, 16(6), 9–18.
Hoffman, K. T., Marvin, R. S., Cooper, G., & Powell, B. (2006). Changing toddlers’ and preschoolers’ attachment classifications: The circle of security intervention. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74(6), 1017–1026.
Horton, C. (2011). Protective factors literature review: Early care and education programs and the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Washington, DC: Center for the Study of Social Policy. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from http://www.cssp.org/reform/strengthening-families/resources/body/LiteratureReview.pdf
Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. (2014). New directions in child abuse and neglect research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Jaffee, S. R., Bowes, L., Ouellet-Morin, I., Fisher, H. L., Moffitt, T. E., Merrick, M. T., & Arseneault, L. (2013). Safe, stable, nurturing relationships break the intergenerational cycle of abuse: A prospective nationally representative cohort of children in the United Kingdom. Journal of Adolescent Health, 53(4, Supplement), S4–S10.
Kempe, H. (1977). Approaches to preventing child abuse: The health visitors concept. American Journal of Diseases of Children, 130(9), 941–947.
Keyes, C. L. M., & Lopez, S. J. (2002). Toward a science of mental health: Positive directions in diagnosis and interventions. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 45–59). New York: Oxford University Press.
Kosanovich, A., Joseph, R. M., & Hasbargen, K. (2005). Child welfare consent decrees: Analysis of thirty-five court actions from 1995–2005. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from http://thehill.com/sites/default/files/consentdecrees_0.pdf.
Ladd, H. F., Muschkin, C. G., & Dodge, K. A. (2014). From birth to school: Early childhood initiatives and third grade outcomes in North Carolina. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 33, 162–187.
Lawrence, C. N., Rosanbalm, K. D., & Dodge, K. A. (2011). Evaluation of policy change in North Carolina’s child welfare system. Children and Youth Services Review, 33, 2355–2365.
LePlatte, D., Rosenblum, K. L., Stanton, E., Miller, N., & Muzik, M. (2012). Mental health in primary care for adolescent parents. Mental Health in Family Medicine, 9(1), 39–45.
Lieberman, A. F., Silverman, R., & Pawl, J. (1999). Preventive intervention and outcome with anxiously attached dyads. Child Development, 62, 199–209.
Lieberman, A. F., Ghosh Ippen, C., & Van Horn, P. (2006). Child–parent psychotherapy: 6-month follow-up of a randomized control trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 45(8), 913–918.
Lincoln, A., Swift, E., & Shorteno-Fraser, M. (2008). Psychological adjustment and treatment of children and families with parents deployed in military combat. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 64, 984–992.
Luthans, K., & Jensen, S. M. (2005). The linkage between psychological capital and commitment to organizational mission: A study of nurses. Journal of Nursing Administration, 35(6), 304–310.
Luthans, F., & Youssef, C. (2004). Human, social, and now positive psychological capital management: Investing in people for competitive advantage. Organizational Dynamics, 33(2), 143–160.
Luthans, F., Avolio, B. J., Avey, J. B., & Norman, S. M. (2007). Psychological capital: Measurement and relationship with performance and satisfaction. Personnel Psychology, 60, 541–572.
Luthar, S. S. (2006). Resilience in development: A synthesis of research across five decades. In D. Cicchetti & D. J. Cohen (Eds.), Developmental psychopathology: Risk, disorder, and adaptation (2nd ed., Vol. 3, pp. 739–795). New York: Wiley.
Luthar, S., Cicchetti, D., & Becker, B. (2000). The construct of resilience: A critical evaluation and guidelines for future work. Child Development, 71(3), 543–562.
Marvin, R., Cooper, G., Hoffman, K., & Powell, B. (2002). The circle of security project: Attachment-based intervention with caregiver-pre-school child dyads. Attachment and Human Development, 4(1), 107–124.
Masten, A. S. (1989). Resilience in development: Implications of the study of successful adaptation for developmental psychopathology. In D. Cicchetti (Ed.), The emergence of a discipline: Rochester symposium on developmental psychopathology (pp. 261–294). Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Masten, A. (2001). Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. American Psychologist, 56(3), 227–238.
Masten, A., & Gewirtz, A. (2006). Vulnerability and resilience. In D. Philips & K. McCartney (Eds.), Blackwell handbook of early childhood development (pp. 22–43). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
Masten, A. S., & Powell, J. L. (2003). A resiliency framework for research, policy and practice. In S. Luthar (Ed.), Resiliency and vulnerability: Adaptation in the context of childhood adversity (pp. 1–29). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
McCourt, S. Y. N. (2013). The impact of state early childhood programs and child protective services policies on resilience following experiences of child maltreatment (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database (UMI No. 35–90829).
Mercer, S., & Green, L. (2008). Federal funding and support for participatory research in public health and health care. In M. Minkler & N. Wallerstein (Eds.), Community-based participatory research for health: From process to outcomes (2nd ed., pp. 399–406). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Minkler, M., & Wallerstein, N. (2008). Introduction to community-based participatory research: New issues and emphases. In M. Minkler & N. Wallerstein (Eds.), Community-based participatory research for health: From process to outcomes (2nd ed., pp. 5–23). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Mitchell, J., Vella-Brodrick, D., & Klein, B. (2010). Positive psychology and the internet: A mental health opportunity. Electronic Journal of Applied Psychology, 6(2), 30–41.
National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2005). Excessive stress disrupts the architecture of the developing brain: Working Paper #3. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/reports_and_working_papers/working_papers/wp3/
New Jersey Department of Children and Families. (2011). Annual agency performance report, 2011. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from http://www.nj.gov/dcf/documents/about/AnnualAgencyReport2011_110911.pdf
New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect. (2013). New Jersey standards for prevention programs: Building success through family support. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from http://www.state.nj.us/dcf/news/reportsnewsletters/taskforce/Standards.for.Prevention.Programs.pdf
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. (2003). North Carolina embarks on major reform of its child welfare system. Fostering Perspectives, 7(2). Raleigh: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from http://www.fosteringperspectives.org/fp_vol7no2/reform.htm
Obama, B. (2010). National security strategy. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/national_security_strategy.pdf.
Ocasio, K. (n.d.). Understanding behavioral determinants of repeat service use in a family support program (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). New Brunswick: Rutgers University.
Olds, D. L., Henderson, C. R., Chamberlin, R., & Tatelbaum, R. (1986). Preventing child abuse and neglect: A randomized trial of nurse home visitation. Pediatrics, 78, 65–78.
Olds, D. L., Henderson, C. R., & Kitzman, H. (1994). Does prenatal and infancy nurse home visitation have enduring effects on qualities of parental caregiving and child health at 25 to 50 months of life? Pediatrics, 93(1), 89–98.
Olds, D. L., Eckenrode, J., Henderson, C. R., Kitzman, H., Powers, J., Cole, R., et al. (1997). Long-term effects of home visitation on maternal life course and child abuse and neglect: Fifteen-year follow-up of a randomized trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 278(8), 637–643.
Olds, D., Sadler, L., & Kitzman, H. (2007). Programs for parents of infants and toddlers: Recent evidence from randomized trials. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 48, 355–391.
Peisner-Feinberg, E. S., & Schaaf, J. M. (2010). Long-term effects of the North Carolina more at four pre-kindergarten program: Children’s reading and math skills at third grade. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina, FPG Child Development Institute.
Pollard, J. A., Hawkins, J. D., & Arthur, M. W. (1999). Risk and protection: Are both necessary to understand diverse behavioral outcomes in adolescence? Social Work Research, 23(3), 145–158.
Powell, B., Cooper, G., Hoffman, K., & Marvin, R. (2009). The circle of security. In C. Zeanah (Ed.), Handbook of infant mental health (3rd ed., pp. 450–467). New York: Guilford Press.
Prinz, R. J., Sanders, M. R., Shapiro, C. J., Whitaker, D. J., & Lutzker, J. R. (2009). Population-based prevention of child maltreatment: The U.S. triple P system population trial. Prevention Science, 10, 1–13.
Casey Family Programs. (2012). Comparison of experiences in differential response (DR) implementation: 10 child welfare jurisdictions implementing DR. Seattle: Casey Family Programs.
Reppucci, N. D., Britner, P. A., & Woolard, J. L. (1997). Preventing child abuse and neglect through parent education. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
Rostad, W. L. (2014). Examining the effectiveness of the circle of security parenting DVD program (Unpublished dissertation). Missoula: University of Montana.
Sadler, L. S., Slade, A., Close, N., Webb, D. L., Simpson, T., Fennie, K., & Mayes, L. C. (2013). Minding the baby: Enhancing reflectiveness to improve early health and relationship outcomes in an interdisciplinary home-visiting program. Infant Mental Health Journal, 34, 391–405.
Saltzman, W. R., Lester, P., Beardslee, W. R., Layne, C. M., Woodward, K., & Nash, W. P. (2011). Mechanisms of risk and resilience in military families: Theoretical and empirical basis of a family-focused resilience enhancement program. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 14(3), 213–230.
Schobera, D. J., Fawcetta, S. B., & Be, J. (2012). The enough abuse campaign: Building the movement to prevent child sexual abuse in Massachusetts. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 21(4), 456–469.
Schorr, A. (2000). The bleak prospect for public child welfare. Social Service Review, 74(1), 124–138.
Sedlak, A. J., & Broadhurst, D. D. (1996). Executive summary of the third national incidence study of child abuse and neglect. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/statsinfo/nis3.cfm.
Sedlak, A. J., Mettenburg, K., Basena, M., Petta, I., McPherson, K., Greene, A., & Li, S. (2010). The fourth national incidence study of child abuse and neglect (NIS-4): Report to congress. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.
Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55, 5–14.
Seligman, M. E. P., Schulman, P., DeRubeis, R. J., & Hollon, S. D. (1999). The prevention of depression and anxiety. Prevention & Treatment, 2(1), Article 8. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from http://www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu/depprevseligman1999.pdf
Sharp, C., & Fonagy, P. (2008). The parent’s capacity to treat the child as a psychological agent: Constructs, measures and implications for developmental psychopathology. Social Development, 17(3), 737–754.
Shonkoff, J. P. (2010). Building a new biodevelopmental framework to guide the future of early childhood policy. Child Development, 81(1), 357–367.
Shonkoff, J. P., & Garner, A. S. (2012). The lifelong effects of early childhood adversity and toxic stress. Pediatrics, 129(1), 232–246.
Shonkoff, J. P., & Phillips, D. A. (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Simon, J. B., Murphy, J. J., & Smith, S. M. (2005). Understanding and fostering family resilience. The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 13(4), 427–436.
Slade, A., Grienenberger, J., Bernbach, E., Levy, D., & Locker, A. (2005). Maternal reflective functioning and attachment: Considering the transmission gap. Attachment and Human Development, 7, 283–292.
Suchman, N. E., DeCoste, C., Castiglioni, N., McMahon, T. J., Rounsaville, B., & Mayes, L. (2010). The mothers and toddlers program, an attachment-based parenting intervention for substance using women: Post-treatment results from a randomized clinical pilot. Attachment & Human Development, 12(5), 483–504.
Suchman, N. E., DeCoste, C., McMahon, T. E., Rounsaville, B., & Mayes, L. (2011). The mothers and toddlers program, an attachment-based parenting intervention for substance using women: Results at 6-week follow-up in a randomized clinical pilot. Infant Mental Health Journal, 32(4), 427–449.
Thornberry, T. P., Henry, K. L., Smith, C. A., Ireland, T. O., Greenman, S. J., & Lee, R. D. (2013). Breaking the cycle of maltreatment: The role of safe, stable, and nurturing relationships. Journal of Adolescent Health, 53(4, Supplement), S25–S31.
Trickett, P. K., Aber, J. L., Carlson, V., & Cicchetti, D. (1991). The relationship of socioeconomic status to the etiology and developmental sequelae of physical child abuse. Developmental Psychology, 27, 148–158.
Trout, A. L., Ryan, J. B., La Vigne, S. P., & Epstein, M. H. (2003). Behavioral and emotional rating scale: Two studies of convergent validity. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 12, 399–410.
U.S. Department of Defense. (2011). Demographics report: Profile of the military community. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from http://www.militaryonesource.mil/12038/MOS/Reports/2011_demographics_Report.pdf
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2009). National health security strategy of the United States of America. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/authority/nhss/strategy/Pages/default.aspx.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2010, February 5). National disaster recovery framework (draft) (FEMA-2010-0004-0001). Washington, DC: Author.
Van Ijzendoorn, M. H., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., & Juffer, F. (2005). Why less is more: From the Dodo bird verdict to evidence-based interventions on sensitivity and early attachments. In L. J. Berlin, Y. Ziv, L. Amaya-Jackson, & M. T. Greenberg (Eds.), Enhancing early attachments: Theory, research, intervention, and policy (pp. 297–312). New York: Guilford Press.
Wald, M. (2009). Preventing maltreatment or promoting positive development: Where should a community focus its resources? In K. Dodge & D. L. Coleman (Eds.), Preventing child maltreatment community approaches (pp. 182–195). New York: Guilford Press.
Walsh, F. (1998). Strengthening family resilience. New York: Guilford.
Werner, E., & Smith, R. (1989). Vulnerable but invincible: A longitudinal study of resilient children and youth. New York: Adams, Bannister, and Cox.
Wolfe, D. A. (1994). The role of intervention and treatment services in the prevention of child abuse and neglect. In G. B. Melton & F. Barry (Eds.), Safe neighborhoods: Foundations for a new national strategy on child abuse and neglect (pp. 224–303). New York: Guilford.
Yates, T. M., & Masten, A. S. M. (2004). Fostering the future: Resilience theory and the practice of positive psychology. In P. A. Linley & S. Joseph (Eds.), Positive psychology in practice (pp. 521–539). Hoboken: Wiley.
Zielinski, D. S., & Bradshaw, C. P. (2006). Ecological influences on the sequelae of child maltreatment. Child Maltreatment, 11(1), 49–62.
Zolotor, A. J., & Runyan, D. K. (2006). Social capital, family violence, and neglect. Pediatrics, 117, 1124–1131.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Reflections: Protective Factor Frameworks and Public Policy
Reflections: Protective Factor Frameworks and Public Policy
The emergence of protective factor frameworks has been a significant boon for the field of child and family services. When, in 2003, the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) released its list of protective factors for strengthening families and preventing child abuse and neglect, it created a wave of momentum that helped drive a new focus on achieving positive outcomes instead of simply avoiding negative ones. The true genius of the CSSP study was the simplicity and directness of its message. Choosing to focus on five factors—parental resilience, social connections, concrete support in times of need, knowledge of parenting and child development, and social and emotional competence of children—the study gave policymakers and practitioners something accessible that could be easily transformed into powerful, targeted programs.
Now it is time that we in the child services community take the next steps towards improving these frameworks by refining our use of protective factors. Protective factors are not one-size-fits-all prescriptions to the problems facing vulnerable children and families. The literature makes clear that different problems faced by children and families may require different solutions. The original CSSP framework was intended to prevent child abuse and neglect, but for other problems or challenges—such as homeless youth—a different set of protective factors may be needed. During my time at the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, we commissioned a report titled Protective Factors for In-Risk Populations Served by the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families. The report, released in 2013, showed a large variance in the evidence linking different protective factors to positive outcomes in the five populations on which the study focused. This indicated that customizing protective factor frameworks for different populations could lead to better outcomes.
But beyond simply identifying which factors apply to which populations, we also must continue to ensure that the factors we have chosen are indeed the correct ones, and that our decisions are backed up by scientific evidence. It is crucial that we take the current momentum we have built and use it to drive programs that are both effective and meticulously scrutinized. Our ACYF study followed this approach by identifying the strength of the evidence connecting each preventive factor to positive outcomes for our five targeted populations.
Protective factor frameworks should be recognized for the successes they have achieved. But they should also be seen as an opportunity, something to build upon by refining our methods and improving the quality and accuracy of our solutions. Each step we take towards crafting better-targeted and more scientifically rigorous programs is another step towards improving the lives of our country’s children and their families.
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Walsh, T.B., McCourt, S.N., Rostad, W.L., Byers, K., Ocasio, K. (2015). Promoting Protective Factors and Strengthening Resilience. In: Daro, D., Cohn Donnelly, A., Huang, L., Powell, B. (eds) Advances in Child Abuse Prevention Knowledge. Child Maltreatment, vol 5. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16327-7_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16327-7_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16326-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16327-7
eBook Packages: Behavioral ScienceBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)