title: The relationship between protective factors and outcomes for children exposed to violence.
abstract: To develop prevention and intervention programs for children exposed to violence, it is necessary to understand what factors might help alleviate the negative effects of violence exposure. In this study, we sought to test whether relationships exist between certain protective factors and subsequent adjustment and to examine whether violence re-exposure contributed to changes in outcomes over time. The analyses revealed that caregiver reports of both child self-control and the quality of the parent-child relationship were related to changes in child posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and behavior problems. Furthermore, children experiencing more categories of violence re-exposure had increased behavior problems at follow-up compared to those without re-exposure. These findings advance our understanding of the relationship between these protective factors and outcomes for children exposed to violence and suggest that intervening to bolster these protective factors could improve outcomes.
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. dschultz@rand.org
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: Lisa H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Jaycox
authors.forename: Laura J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Hickman
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Setodji
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kofner
authors.forename: Racine
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Dionne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barnes
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*