Community factors that help foster resilience in young people who have experienced maltreatment
From an article by The Australian Institute of Family Studies
A study by Arianne Jean-Thorn and colleagues, Université du Québec à Montréal, examined whether community factors can help foster resilience in young people (aged under 25 years) who have experienced maltreatment. These were summarised by The Australian Institute of Family Studies for their context.
Experiences of maltreatment can have a range of negative effects on a young person’s immediate and long-term health and development. These experiences have been associated with behavioural and emotional problems, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.
It is estimated that 62% of Australians (aged 16–65 years) have experienced at least one type of maltreatment as a child. Among those who’ve experienced a single type of childhood maltreatment, 36% developed a mental health disorder in adulthood, while 55% of those who experienced multiple types of maltreatment developed a mental health disorder.
Not all people who experience maltreatment as a child will develop mental health or behavioural challenge. Despite the adversity they’ve experienced, some young people show resilience and are able to adapt positively. Understanding the factors that can foster resilience in young people, or protect them from the adverse effects of maltreatment, can inform the development of programs, practices or services that target or support these factors.
Individual factors, such as a young person’s individual characteristics and behaviours, as well as their family and social relationships, can influence young people’s ability to positively adapt to adversity. There is also some evidence that a young person’s broader social and community environment, such as school, community services or the quality of their neighbourhood, can influence the development of resilience. The presence of community-level protective factors may be especially important for extending the reach of specialist supports and/or in helping to support young people who do not have access to specialised support services.
The term ‘resilience’ refers to the process of a person being able to access and draw on personal resources (e.g. planning and decision-making skills) or external resources (e.g. social supports) to positively adapt to challenges or adversity.
Community factors that can help foster resilience were found to be:
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having a supportive or caring relationship with an adult outside of the family (e.g. camp counsellor, cultural or religious leader)
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being involved in extracurricular activities (e.g. sports club, mentored group, academic club)
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school factors such as feeling safe at school, receiving encouragement at school, liking school and feeling part of the school community
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neighbourhood quality (e.g. quality of life in the neighbourhood)
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accessing and using community services
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for children in contact with child protective services, such as out-of-home care, factors such as having a stable caregiver, having minimal movements while in care or between care and returning to their parents, and parents receiving specialist support when the child was returned to them from care.
The review found that school factors and neighbourhood quality had the most consistent and strongest evidence for improving an individual’s resilience following maltreatment. Feeling safe and connected at school, receiving encouragement at school and liking school were consistently associated with positive outcomes such as improved school performance and reduced mental health challenges.
The summary continues to outline implications for policies, practice and services.
Read the full article here.
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The Australian Institute of Family Studies, 14/05/2025