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It Takes a Village: How Social Support for Young High Risk Children Promotes Resilience (Workshop 107)

Child maltreatment portends an array of maladaptive outcomes for children, including problematic peer relationships (Bolger, Patterson, & Kupersmidt, 1998; Dodge, Pettit, & Bates, 1994; Erickson, Egeland, & Pianta, 1989). Resilience theory and research suggest that protective factors in the lives of maltreated and high risk children, such as positive social support, may offset these outcomes (Cowen et al., 1990; Egeland, Jacobvitz, & Sroufe, 1988; Masten, Best, & Garmezy, 1990).

Currently, there is a paucity of research regarding social support for young children in high risk homes (Cauce et al., 1990). Since longitudinal studies are lacking, a central question arises as to the role of supportive relationships (i.e., grandparents, aunts, fathers/male support providers) for young children in homes where the primary care giving (i.e., mother-child) relationship is detrimental or life stress overwhelming. Appropriate assessment, intervention, and research regarding high risk young children are imperative, since young children constitute an increasing percentage of children in out-of-home care (Clyman, Jones Harden, & Little, 2002). An empirical understanding of the role of social support for these children could inform policy and practice guidelines to improve the protection and well-being of children.

The research project reported in this workshop was funded by an Office on Child Abuse and Neglect (OCAN) University Fellowship through the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) initiative. Participants were drawn from an ongoing prospective longitudinal study investigating developmental outcomes of 172 at-risk urban children (Egeland & Brunnquell, 1979). Reliable qualitative ratings of the quantity, quality, and disruption in social support were developed to measure social support across early childhood (birth to 64 months). Maltreatment, life stress, and maternal support were assessed from interviews, mother-child observations, and Child Protective Service reports over the same period. Participants were followed from elementary to high school, examining teacher ratings of peer competence. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to determine the influence of social support on later peer competence, after controlling for maternal support, and to investigate the moderating influences of support on the detrimental outcomes of maltreatment and life stress. Findings revealed that social support enhanced peer competence at first and sixth grades for children in this high risk sample, although moderation analyses were not significant.

The findings bear significance on the design of effective policy as well as community and child welfare interventions to enhance healthy outcomes for high risk children. This session includes discussion of potential applications of the research.

Karen Appleyard, M.S.W., M.A.
University of Minnesota
School of Medicine
Department of Psychiatry
CB #6305
Chapel Hill, NC27599-6305

Updated on March 19, 2010