NCJ Number
156886
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 19 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1995) Pages: 1171-1182
Date Published
1995
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Alternative measures of resilience and correlates of resilience were examined in a sample of 43 sexually abused female children and adolescents ages 10-17 in the Phoenix area who were assessed using a self-administered interview at the time of intake for psychotherapy.
Abstract
Results indicated relatively high levels of disagreement as to which participants were resilient using maintenance of social competence and absence of clinical levels of symptomatology as alternative criteria. Most participants who had maintained age-normative levels of social competence were, nonetheless, manifesting clinically significant levels of symptoms. A warm and supportive relationship with a nonoffending parent was a strong correlate of resilience, regardless of which criterion was used. Lower levels of abuse-related stress, fewer negative cognitive appraisals of the abusive relationship, and less reliance on aggressive coping behaviors were also significant predictors of resilience based on the absence of clinical levels of symptomatology. However, parental support and level of abuse stress were the only two variables to enter a logistic regression model predicting resilience. Tables and 49 references (Author abstract modified)