Early childhood maltreatment and profiles of resilience among child welfare-involved children.

Susan Yoon,Sherry Hamby,Nathan Helsabeck,Natasha Slesnick,Fei Pei,Jessica Logan

doi:10.1017/s0954579421001851

Abstract

Given the high burden of child maltreatment, there is an urgent need to know more about resilient functioning among those who have experienced maltreatment. The aims of the study were to: 1) identify distinct profiles of resilience across cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and social domains in young children involved in the child welfare system; and 2) examine maltreatment characteristics and family protective factors in relation to the identified resilience profiles. A secondary analysis was conducted using data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW-II). Latent profile analysis was performed on a sample of 827 children aged 3-5 years (46% girls, Mean age = 3.96). Three distinct resilience profiles were identified: 1) low cognitive resilience (24%); 2) low emotional and behavioral resilience (20%); and 3) multidomain resilience (56%). Caregiver cognitive stimulation, no out-of-home placement, higher caregiver education level, older child age, and being a girl were associated with the multidomain resilience profile. The findings provide empirical support for the multifaceted nature of resilience and suggest that practitioners need to help children achieve optimal and balanced development by assessing, identifying, and targeting those domains in which children struggle to obtain competence.

Highlights

There is a robust body of evidence supporting the long-lasting, negative impact of maltreatment on children’s developmental outcomes
Resilience during early childhood is of particular importance because the basis of core competence is formed during this period, making it a critical window of opportunity for promoting lifelong resilience; yet we know little about how resilience operates in young, maltreated children
Early childhood is especially crucial for studying resilience because it represents a critical period for school readiness, with young children actively exploring and developing their socio-emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning, which lays the foundation for subsequent successful development (Nelson et al, 2017; Panlilio et al, 2018; Sabol & Pianta, 2012)

Summary

Introduction

There is a robust body of evidence supporting the long-lasting, negative impact of maltreatment on children’s developmental outcomes. Child maltreatment during the early years of life has a profound negative impact on children’s development across multiple domains – including social, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning (Cicchetti, 2016; Norman et al, 2012). Early childhood maltreatment is associated with long-term adverse outcomes, including poor academic performance, altered brain development, psychiatric and emotional problems, unemployment, substance use problems, and chronic diseases (Jedd et al, 2015; Lansford et al, 2014; Norman et al, 2012; Widom, 2014). Based on empirical evidence providing strong support for resilience as a process (Cicchetti, 2013; Happer et al, 2017; Masten, 1994; Rutter, 1999), we define resilience as the outcome or process of positive adaptation in the face of challenging circumstances (Luthar et al, 2000; Masten, 1994)

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