Resilience following childhood maltreatment has received substantial empirical attention, with the number of studies on this construct growing exponentially in the past decade. While there is ample interest, inconsistencies remain about how to conceptualize and assess resilience. Further, there is a lack of consensus on how developmental stage influences resilience and how protective factors affect its expression. The current systematic review uses a developmental lens to synthesize findings on resilience following child maltreatment. Specifically, this article consolidates the body of empirical literature in a developmentally oriented review, with the intention of inclusively assessing three key areas—the conceptualization of resilience, assessment of resilience, and factors associated with resilience in maltreatment research. A total of 67 peer-reviewed, quantitative empirical articles that examined child maltreatment and resilience were included in this review. Results indicate that some inconsistencies in the literature may be addressed by utilizing a developmental lens and considering the individual’s life stage when selecting a definition of resilience and associated measurement tool. The findings also support developmental variations in factors associated with resilience, with different individual, relational, and community protective factors emerging based on life stage. Implications for practice, policy, and research are incorporated throughout this review.

Pregnancy is a period of heightened risk for exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV), which is characterized by actual or threatened emotional, physical, or sexual violence committed by a past or current intimate partner. Pregnancy also represents a unique period in which women may be highly motivated to address IPV, to improve not only her health and well-being but also that of her child. Accordingly, the prenatal period affords an important opportunity for intervention among women experiencing IPV. Focus groups were conducted to evaluate coping strategies utilized by women exposed to IPV during pregnancy in addition to the strengths these women exhibit. Via thematic analysis, focus group data were evaluated from 10 women exposed to IPV proximal to their pregnancy and 46 service providers (e.g., medical personnel, family resource coordinators and case managers) who work directly with pregnant women experiencing IPV. When participants were queried about the personal strengths of IPV-exposed women, two domains emerged: (a) understanding and ending the cycle of IPV and (b) strengths achieved as a result of leaving the violent relationship (i.e., personal growth, enhanced self-esteem, improved attentiveness as a parent and resilience). With respect to coping, three central domains emerged: (a) the necessity of ensuring physical safety as a precondition for coping, (b) maladaptive coping strategies (e.g., substance use, avoidance), and (c) adaptive coping strategies (e.g., seeking support from others via both formal and informal relationships). These findings reinforce the importance of engaging with women before, during, and after they leave a violent relationship to provide support, affirmation and hope.

Early research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) provided staggering evidence of the significant ramifications of ACEs on physical health and functioning. It brought to the forefront the importance of addressing trauma and family dysfunction to enhance public health. Over the past several decades, the study of childhood adversity has blossomed, with expanded conceptualizations and assessments of ACEs. This review brings together various biological, psychological, and sociological principles that inform our understanding of ACEs and our approach to treatment. Specifically, we document the evolution of ACEs research, focusing on the intergenerational impact of ACEs, the importance of incorporating a resilience framework when examining ACEs, and implementing interventions that address adversity across generations and at multiple levels of the social ecology. Evidence is provided to support the evolving perspective that ACEs have long-lasting effects beyond the ACE(s)-exposed individual, with significant attention to the impact of parental ACEs on child development. An intergenerational and multilevel approach to understanding and addressing ACEs offers specific areas to target in interventions and in public policy.

The authors wish to thank the women and community partners who made this research possible as well as the graduate and undergraduate research assistants who helped with data collection and management. We have no known conflicts of interest to disclose.

Objective: Research has established a strong link between social networks and health outcomes, but less work has examined how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact prenatal social networks. This study explored classes of ACEs in association with family, friend, and partner social support network size, controlling for income and past-year intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure. Method: Participants included 238 pregnant women (Mage = 26.86, SD = 5.88; 54.4% Black) recruited from community organizations serving families in the Midwest and Midsouth, United States. Women were recruited from community organizations, flyers posted in local businesses, and study staff recruitment at local agencies and events. Women self-reported on ACEs, IPV, monthly income, and their social networks. Results: A latent class analysis yielded a 3-class solution: a high exposure class (38.7%), a sexual abuse/household dysfunction (SA/HD) class (20.2%), and a low exposure class (41.2%). Women in the high exposure class reported smaller family networks compared to the SA/HD and low exposure classes, but larger friend networks than the low exposure class. Women in the high exposure class reported more partner connections than the SA/HD class. Women in the high exposure class reported more frequent IPV than the low exposure class. Conclusions: Patterns of ACEs were differentially associated with women’s social support network size. Findings suggest that pregnant women exposed to high levels of ACEs may be more likely to rely on friends or partners for support, instead of family. Prenatal group-based services could provide opportunities for pregnant women to process various adverse experiences and bolster social connections.