Building resilience with your adopted child
Children who have spent their lives in orphanages or foster care may have experienced abuse, deprivation, neglect or a lack of stimulation.
However, these children can adjust to their new lives if their adoptive parents provide security, support and a loving family environment.
Research suggests that a child's ability to recover from trauma depends on their emotional resilience and an ability to recover from or adjust easily to change. Refer to the list of suggested reading on page 14 of this section for further information.
What is resilience?
Resilience refers to a child's adaptation to adversity and stressful circumstances that they may have experienced. These circumstances can include:
- poverty
- family environments characterised by desertion, violence, parental substance abuse or psychological disturbance
- low education
- lack of family resources or support
- perinatal health problems, congenital handicaps or other biological and genetic deficiencies.
Research suggests that development of individual and environmental 'protective factors' can minimise the effects of adversity and build resiliency in an adopted child. Development of individual protective factors include:
- cognitive skills
- alertness
- curiosity and enthusiasm
- goal setting
- high self-esteem
- self-control and even temperament
Development of environmental protective factors include:
- family and community support networks
- family rules
- respect for a child's individuality
- a secure attachment with the adoptive parents
- a stable family environment
The most important factor that allows a child to become resilient to stressful circumstances they may have experienced is to become attached to their adoptive parent. Developing a secure attachment to their adoptive parents minimises the risk of children developing severe psychopathology associated with adversity and trauma.
Long-term damage to children who have been exposed to early loss or stress can be minimised as a result of the quality of their attachment to their adoptive parents.
This does not mean that children who have secure relationships with their adopted parents will not be affected by stressful circumstances, for example, during their school years. However, they are more likely to cope with extreme adversity compared to other children who experienced adversity from early life but have not developed secure attachment to a parent or care provider.
Activity 5 - Building resilience
In your learning journal, comment on the following question:
- What are some of the ways in which your family and social support network can build resilience with your adopted child?
- Last updated
- 19 October 2007