Elsevier

Child Abuse & Neglect

Volume 19, Issue 9, September 1995, Pages 1171-1182
Child Abuse & Neglect

Spotlight on practice
Resilience criteria and factors associated with resilience in sexually abused girls

https://doi.org/10.1016/0145-2134(95)00077-LGet rights and content

Abstract

Alternative measures of resilience and correlates of resilience were examined in a sample of 43 sexually abused girls who were assessed using a self-administered interview at the time of intake for psychotherapy. Results indicated relatively high levels of disagreement as to which girls were resilient using maintenance of social competence and absence of clinical levels of symptomatology as alternative criteria. Most girls that 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 criteria 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. The research and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Résumé

French abstract not available at time of publication.

Resumen

Se examinaron medidas alternas de resistencia y correlatos de la resistencia en una muestra de 43 muchachas abusadas sexualmente que fueron evaluadas utilizando una entrevista auto-administrada en el momento de entrada a psicoterapia. Los resultados indicaron relativamente bajos niveles de desacuerdo en cuanto a cuáles muchachas tenían resistencia utilizando el mantenimiento de la competencia social y ausencia de niveles clínicos de sintomatología como criterios alternos. La mayoría de las muchachas que habían mantenido su competencia social de acuerdo a las normas de su edad, sin embargo, manifestaban niveles clínicamente significativos de síntomas. Una relacion cálida de apoyo con uno de los padres no abusivo, era un fuerte correlato de la resistencia sin importar el criterio utilizado. Basados en la ausencia de niveles clínicos de sintomatología, los predictores significativos de resistencia fueron niveles bajos de stress asociado al abuso, menos juicios cognitivos negativos de la relación abusiva, y menos confianza en conductas agresivas de ajuste. Sin embargo, apoyo parental y nivel de stress por el abuso fueron las dos únicas variables que entraron en un modelo logístico de regresión para predecir la resistencia. Se discuten las implicaciones de estos resultados para la investigación y el trabajo clínico.

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