Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The effects of childhood abuse and neglect can be life-long and have serious effects on the quality of life Some child victims of abuse and neglect cope with, adapt to, and overcome many of the effects of abuse and neglect This suggests the existence of processes that are protective
Developmental psychopathology
Study of high risk groups, usually longitudinally, in order to understand factors associated with both adaptive and maladaptive outcomes Risks developmental psychopathologists have studied include:
Child abuse & neglect, parental mental health, parental death and abandonments, foster care Unsafe neighborhoods, homelessness, natural
Vulnerability
That may include a sense of the self as defective (shame) and may result in psychic wounds Psychic wounds can be thought of as hot buttons that when pushed results in intense emotional pain When psychic wounds are restimulated, persons may experience dysregulation
Dysregulation
The person at least temporarily experiences a sense of unmanageability of their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors; pulse and heart rates may accelerate
Many possible signs of dysregulation: anxiety, fear, depression, withdrawal, lethargy, crying bouts, bedwetting, agitation Persons seek to re-regulate
Seeking comfort and affirmation from caring adults and peers Talking about hurt and confusion Engaging in behaviors that soothe emotional pain (e.g., exercise & art) Reinterpreting the meanings of the abuse and neglect
Examples:
Destruction of property Bullying Attacking others Inappropriate sexual behaviors Bragging and acts of bravado
Examples:
Cutting Anorexia & bulimia Substance use and abuse Suicide attempts Recklessness Spending money
Making noises, humming, wandering around the classroom, throwing paper planes
Acting silly in situations where silliness is incongruous Perseveration that is not primarily neurological
Close, long-term relationships with persons who model pro-social behaviors and who affirm pro-sociality in the person who has experienced abuse and neglect
Emulating the pro-social behaviors of persons they admire Strong desire to be pro-social Ability to engage in self-soothing behaviors Affirming ethnic/cultural identification Hope for the future Resources to attain life goals
Resilience: An Outcome
Coping with, adapting to, and overcoming risks; an outcome Flexible, help-seeking, problem-solving behaviors when stressed Ability to maintain an integrated sense of self when hot buttons are pushed Persons can be resilient in one situation and fragmented and brittle in others
Roles of adults
Adults as parents, policy makers, program planners, prevention specialists, and direct practitioners have pivotal tasks in the promotion of resilience, including
Provision of resources that children and youth recognize as important to them and are consistent with what they want. Psychologically available so that children have safe havens where they can process adversities/trauma & learn prosocial coping
Roles of adults
Parents do whatever it takes to become psychologically available to their children Create situations where young people can succeed Be positive role models Give time and attention that eventually result in young persons' increasing capacities to regulate and re-regulate themselves in times of stress.