Resilience and protective factors

Protective factors play an important role when it comes to being resilient. Resilience and Protective Factors The term resilience refers to a person having experienced trauma or some traumatic event in life and is doing well given the circumstances (Jean Clinton, 2008). The amount of resilience that any one person may carry depends enormously on protective factors during childhood. There also was a study done with results from two reviews on family resilience. In the (Arvin Bhana, Shaneel Bachoo, South African Journal of Psychology V-14 (2), June 2011) one of the finding of these reviews were as follows (Benzies & Mychasiuk, 2009) state personal community and family factors play an important role with some factors being positive structure within the families, having caring, loving warmth through childhood, having an encouraging and stimulating environment, Efficient and effective coping skills, believing in spirituality, role models within the community, the amount of community involvement and having acceptance growing up as children by their peers.

Resilience and Protective Factors These findings would make one person more resilient than the next depending on how many protective factors were involved. Combinations of dynamics within the family assist to help bring positive consequences when there is hardship (Arvin Bhana, Shaneel Bachoo, 2011). According to (Tracie O Afifi, PhD; & Harriet L MacMillan, MD) a child that has experienced mistreatment such as neglect, physical, sexual, emotional abuse and other traumatic events can be devastating and cause an enormous amount of suffering as imagined. Therefore they seem to be more resilient than others. Some people may think that these qualities are natural or instinctive but reality is that most are a result of relations between the environment and biology. From the view of the environment and biology, the result of resilience is the relations between inherent make up (DNA) and ecological effects (Caspi, A., J Mcclay, T.E. Moffitt, J Mill, J Martin, I.W. Craig, A. Taylor, and R. Poulton. 2002. Role of genotype in the cycle of violence in maltreated children. Science 297: 851-854). Resilience and Protective Factors Resilience is someone having experienced trauma and is doing better than expected given the circumstances. • Resilience involves protective factors. • Protective factors are a result of relations between the environment and biology. • Protective factors include but are not limited to positive structure, caring, loving, warmth at home, stimulating environment, coping skills and many other factors that take place throughout childhood and adolescents.

Resilience and Protective Factors References: Arvin Bhana & Shaneel Bachoo. South African Journal of Psychology, 41 (2) 2011 pp 131–139. Benzies, K., & Mychasiuk, R. (2009) Fostering Family Resiliency: A Review Of The Key Protective Factors. Child & Family Social Work, 14, 103-114. Breinbauer, C. & Maddaleno, M. (2005). Youth: Choices and Change. Promoting Healthy Behaviours In Adolescents. Washington, D.C: Pan American Health Organization. Caspi, A., J. McClay, T.E. Moffitt, J. Mill, J. Martin, I.W. Craig, A. Taylor, and R. Poulton 2002. Role Of Genotype In The Cycle Of Violence In Maltreated Children. Science 297: 851-4. Jean Clinton (2008), Resilience & Recovery. International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, Vol. 13 No.3 August 2008, pp 213–222. Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University Ontario, Canada. Tracie O. Afifi, PhD; Harriet L MacMillan MD. Resilience Following Child Maltreatment: A Review of Protective Factors.