Chang Yujeong, Yoon Susan, Maguire-Jack Kathryn, Lee Jihye
School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
College of Social Work, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Children (Basel). 2022 Dec 20;10(1):1. doi: 10.3390/children10010001.
Child maltreatment is a well-known risk factor that threatens the well-being and positive development of adolescents, yet protective factors can help promote resilience amid adversity. The current study sought to identify factors at the family, school, and neighborhood levels associated with resilience outcomes including positive functioning and social skills, among adolescents who have experienced maltreatment. Using longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, the analytic sample was limited to 1729 adolescents who experienced maltreatment before age 9. Family-, school-, and neighborhood-level predictors were assessed at age 9, and youth resilience was measured at age 15. We conducted a series of multiple regression analyses to examine multi-level protective factors at age 9 as predictors of positive adolescent functioning and social skills at age 15. The study found that mothers' involvement was significantly and positively associated with positive adolescent functioning and social skills. Additionally, school connectedness and neighborhood social cohesion were significantly associated with higher levels of adolescent social skills. Our findings suggest that positive environmental contexts such as maternal involvement in parenting, school connectedness, and socially cohesive neighborhoods can serve as important protective factors that promote resilient development among adolescents who have experienced maltreatment as children.
儿童虐待是一个众所周知的风险因素，威胁着青少年的幸福和积极发展，然而保护因素有助于在逆境中促进恢复力。当前的研究旨在确定在经历过虐待的青少年中，家庭、学校和社区层面与包括积极功能和社交技能在内的恢复力结果相关的因素。利用脆弱家庭与儿童福利研究的纵向数据，分析样本仅限于1729名在9岁之前经历过虐待的青少年。在9岁时评估家庭、学校和社区层面的预测因素，在15岁时测量青少年的恢复力。我们进行了一系列多元回归分析，以检验9岁时的多层次保护因素作为15岁时青少年积极功能和社交技能的预测因素。研究发现，母亲的参与与青少年的积极功能和社交技能显著正相关。此外，学校归属感和社区社会凝聚力与青少年更高水平的社交技能显著相关。我们的研究结果表明，积极的环境背景，如母亲参与育儿、学校归属感和具有社会凝聚力的社区，可以作为重要的保护因素，促进那些童年经历过虐待的青少年的恢复力发展。
