Social, Emotional, and Academic Competence Among Children Who Have Had Contact With Child Protective Services: Prevalence and Stability Estimates

ABSTRACT 

Objective

To estimate the prevalence and stability of social, emotional, and academic competence in a nationally representative sample of children involved with child protective services.

Method

Children were assessed as part of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. Children (N = 2,065) ranged in age from 8 to 16 years and were assessed at baseline and at 18 and 36 months postbaseline. Caregivers, teachers, and youths provided information about children's problem behaviors, school achievement, and social competence. Children were considered resilient in a domain if they met or exceeded national norms.

Results

Thirty-seven percent to 49% of children demonstrated resilience in mental health, academic, or social domains at any time point. Eleven percent to 14% of children were resilient across domains at any time point, and only 14% to 22% of children were consistently resilient within a given domain across all three time points.

Conclusions

Resilience, as defined by competence in mental health, academic, and social domains, was demonstrated by relatively few children. The conditions that promote stable resilience may be difficult to achieve among allegedly maltreated children who are likely to face residential and caretaker instability. Future research should identify processes that promote stability in resilience over time.

Key Words:  child abuse , maltreatment , resilience , National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-B]eing