Scholars Archive

Title

Averting Child Maltreatment: Individual, Social, and Community Resources

Authors

Kimberly DuMont, University at Albany, State University of New York
Susan Ehrhard-Ditzel, University at Albany, State University of New York
Kristen Kirkland, University at Albany, State University of New York

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2012

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0586-3_17

Abstract

This study explores the influence of promotive factors in achieving resilience to child abuse and neglect among 524 at-risk mothers, an indicator that has substantial implications for the child's development and long-term outcomes. We include in our analyses measures of each ofthe potential qualities or resources discussed in the literature: characteristics of the child, maternal characteristics, socioeconomic resources, social resources and supportive networks, and perceived neighborhood safety. The analyses suggest the importance of a diverse array of factors in the sustained and successful avoidance of child abuse and neglect among a sample of women at risk to maltreat. The explanatory power of promotive factors individually and collectively indicates that resilience does not simply represent the other end of a risk continuum but reflects the presence of considerable and accessible resources that compensate for a range of adversities. These resources include characteristics and activities of the mother, socioeconomic resources, and social resources available in the community in which she and her child live.

Recommended Citation

DuMont, K., Ehrhard-Dietzel, S., & Kirkland, K. (2012). Averting child maltreatment: Individual, economic, social, and community resources that promote resilient parenting. In M. Ungar (Ed.), The social ecology of resilience: A handbook of theory and practice (pp. 199–217). Springer Science + Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0586-3_17