NCJ Number
222033
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 32 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2008 Pages: 67-81
Date Published
January 2008
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study examined the relationship between several proposed protective factors and trauma symptoms among highly vulnerable youth in the child welfare system.
Abstract
This study found that highly vulnerable youth can still be affected by variables such as positive parenting practices and the presence of a supportive child welfare agency. Emotional and interpersonal competence also exists in this population and may play a role in lessening future levels of trauma symptoms. It is recommended that future research should use a more sophisticated research design to explore the moderating role of extra-curricular activities such as club involvement. Additional research should also explore the variations in resilience patterns among unique demographic and clinical populations of at-risk youth. Participants included youth and foster parents who participated in a two wave longitudinal study of children identified with sexual behavioral problems living in Cook County, IL, and under the custody of the State’s child welfare system (Department of Children and Family Services-DCFS). The sample consisted of 142 youth; 27 percent were females and the mean age was 13.2 years, 88 percent were African-American. The youth provided self-reports of their sexual and physical abuse experiences, trauma symptoms, and ratings of parenting practices in both time 1 and time 2 data, caregivers also completed surveys. The data was collected between 3 and 12 months from the time of screening and the time 2 data were collected on average 1.5 years after time 1 data. Tables, figures, and references