Foster Resilience And Child Abuse

Child abuse remains a serious issue in the United States. There are several potential outcomes that stem from child abuse, the most tragic being death. Of the survivors, there are children that are able to overcome their abuse and transition into healthy adulthood. Then there are the children who survive but are unable to overcome their abuse. The purpose of this research paper is to create an awareness about the children who are unable to overcome their abuse, to understand what fosters resilience in the children who are able to overcome their abuse and confirm that resilience can be fostered through community engagement. What is resilience and why is important to foster in abused children? Identifying the path to resiliency would bridge

It is imperative to spread an awareness on the resilience gap of these abused children and to educate communities on how to create environments that foster resilience for these children. One of the contributing factors of resilience is for these children to have a stable and caring relationship with an adult, which is not always available for these children, especially those that are removed from their home for safety reasons and are bounced between homes; however, it is something that can be created with time and effort. There are existing mentoring programs, but more research needs to be done to ensure their reach is catching the needs of these abused children, perhaps reevaluating existing programs and expanding them to ensure the needs of this vulnerable population are met; hence creating that stable, caring

Though child abuse is inevitable, the ability to improve outcomes for children of abuse is achievable with the right resources. This is why creating and an awareness of child abuse, identifying attributes of resilience and their relevance in overcoming adversity is imperative. According to Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University resilience can make or break a child’s journey in overcoming their abuse, “In the final analysis, resilience is rooted in both the physiology of adaptation and the experiences we provide for children that either promote or limit its development.” (2015, p. 1), which is why to be active members of society and understanding the importance of reporting abuse. Reporting abuse not only provides an opportunity to safeguard that child, but it also rolls up into federal reporting leading to increased awareness at a national level with potential for increased funding to sustain or improve existing or create new programs and services for abused children. This is the pathway to creating communities that foster resilience that will give these children the opportunity to overcome their