Signs of resilience in sexually abused adolescent girls in the foster care system.
In a sample of 99 sexually abused adolescent girls in the foster care system (64% in congregate living situations and 36% in family/foster care homes), nearly half were psychologically functioning well despite having experienced moderate-to-severe emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. It was hypothesized that these girls with resilient trajectories would differ from the currently symptomatic girls on several protective factors: education, future orientation, family support, peer influence, and religion. The results revealed that the girls with resilient trajectories were significantly more certain of their educational plans and optimistic about their future and had more positive peer influences.
Edmond
Tonya
T
George Warren School of Social Work (GWB), Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA. tee1@wustl.edu
Auslander
Wendy
W
Elze
Diane
D
Bowland
Sharon
S
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D002669:Child Welfare; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010379:Peer Group; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*