PROTECTIVE FACTORS THAT PROMOTE CHILDREN’S RESILIENCE Children exposed to inmate partner violence (IPV) process, react, and respond to the violence in different ways. Despite facing difficules, many children display well-being and posive adjustment. Emerging research connues to examine what protecve factors promote children’s resilience and how they can support prevenon and intervenon efforts for children and their families. This infographic shares informaon on promising protecve factors within children, families, and their communies. How a given child responds to these protecve factors depends on many interacng influences at the child, family, and community levels, including their experiences of relaonal and structural violence. Promong these protectors can help to build children’s resilience and support their well-being and health. For a full list of references, please view the plain-text version on our website: hp://www.vawlearningnetwork.ca/our- work/infographics/protecvefactors/index.html Explore these related resources: • From Best Pracces to Breakthrough Impacts • The Science of Resilience • Supporve Relaonships and Acve Skill-Building Strengthen the Foundaons of Resilience Presence of a Loving and Supporve Adult 1 1 Research suggests that the single most common factor in how children overcome adversity is the presence of at least one loving, consistent, and supporve adult. 1 It is oſten a parent, but it can also be a grandmother, godparent, coach, teacher, or neighbour. Children benefit when we recognize and preserve the important connecons that provide them with nurturing and security. Self-Regulaon Skills 3 3 These skills enable children to manage their thoughts, emoons, and behaviours when they feel overwhelmed, anxious, or angry. 3 “Scaffolding” is an approach used to support children with self-regulaon by helping them navigate difficult situaons one step at a me unl they are able to handle the challenges on their own. 4 Parenng Competencies 5 5 Parenng competencies include being responsive to a child’s needs, expressing emoonal warmth, providing support to the child, and building strong parent-child bonds. 7 Research shows that parenng competencies are posively linked to beer outcomes for children exposed to adversity and trauma. 8 Children benefit when we work with parents to strengthen their parenng skills. Posive School Environment 7 7 Schools can support children’s beliefs in their own abilies to achieve and can provide them with the intellectual and emoonal tools to do so. 10 Children’s mental health and well-being can be further strengthened when schools incorporate social-emoonal learning and/or trauma-informed approaches in their classrooms, supports, and services. Connecon to Faith and Culture 4 4 Children who are involved in cultural or faith groups may be beer posioned to navigate adversity. 5 Children benefit from the support of a network of people who share similar values and beliefs. In addion, posive messages conveyed by spiritual, cultural, or religious tradions may help them overcome difficules. 6 Mother’s Well-Being 6 6 Children whose mothers experience posive mental health display increased resilience and beer outcomes than other young people who are exposed to adversity. 9 Promong health and well-being in mothers is an important way to support children. Posive Self-Percepons 2 2 Self-percepons refer to how children think about themselves, their skills and capabilies, and their sense of control. 2 For instance, children who believe they are capable of doing certain tasks may be more opmisc, less anxious, and persevere more to accomplish a task. Posive self-percepons can be nurtured by recognizing children’s efforts, helping to set short-term goals, and helping them learn from setbacks. 7