Risk behaviors and resiliency within physically abused adolescents

• Published in: Child abuse & neglect 2004-05, Vol.28 (5), p.547-563
• Main Authors: Perkins, Daniel F., Jones, Kenneth R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abused young people; Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adolescents; Antisocial Behavior; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Abuse; Child abuse & neglect; Child Abuse - psychology; Drinking; Eating Disorders; Educational Environment; Extracurricular Activities; Family Influence; Family Violence; Female; Humans; Individual Characteristics; Male; Medical sciences; Midwestern United States; Peer Influence; Personality Traits; Physical abuse; Predictor Variables; Protective factors; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Religious Factors; Resilience; Resiliency; Risk; Risk behaviors; Risk behaviour; Risk factors; Risk-Taking; Sexuality; Smoking; Social Support; Substance Abuse; Suicide; Teenagers; USA; Victimology
• ISSN: 0145-2134; 1873-7757
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2003.12.001

Objective: This study examines the relationship between physical abuse and several risk behaviors, and thriving behaviors, and the relationship between potential protective factors and engagement in risk and thriving behaviors among victims of physical abuse. Three categories of potential protective factors were examined: (1) individual characteristics, (2) family processes, and (3) extra-familial factors. We expected that high levels of protective factors would reduce engagement in risk behaviors (i.e., alcohol use, tobacco use, drug use, sexual activity, antisocial behavior, attempted suicide, and purging) among abused adolescents. Results: Across all the risk behaviors, abused adolescents reported a higher frequency of engagement than non-abused adolescents. Several protective factors were identified for the seven risk behaviors. Peer group characteristics was a significant predictor in all seven of the logistic regressions, followed by positive school climate (six models), religiosity (five models), other adult support (five models), family support (four models), view of the future (two models), and involvement in extra-curricular activities (two models). The variance accounted for by the models ranged from 2% (risk behavior of purging) to 26% (risk behavior of alcohol use and antisocial behavior). Conclusions: The findings indicate that, with the exception of sexual activity, the majority of abused adolescents were not engaging in risk behaviors; however, significantly more abused adolescents were engaging in risk behaviors than their non-abused counterparts. In addition, that protective factors were found to exist at various levels of the adolescents’ ecology has strong implications for practice. Objectif: Cette étude examine la relation entre les mauvais traitements physiques et certains comportements à risque ainsi qu’avec des comportements sains. On y examine également la relation entre des comportements pouvant être facteurs de protection et l’engagement dans les comportements à risque ou sains chez les victimes de mauvais traitements physiques. Trois catégories de facteurs potentiels de protection ont été examinés: 1. les caractéristiques individuelles; 2. le fonctionnement familial; 3. les facteurs extra-familiaux. Nous nous attendions à ce que de hauts niveaux de facteurs de protection réduiraient l’engagement dans des comportements à risque (i.e., le recours à l’alcool, la consommation de tabac ou de drogue, l’activité sexuelle, les comportem