Children's Trust

Parents today have a lot on their plates. Juggling the demands of work, home, and other responsibilities leaves many parents feeling like they do not have enough time with their children. But even small acts of kindness, protection, and caring—a hug, a kiss, or a smile—make a big difference to children. Research shows that babies who receive affection and nurturing from their parents have the best chance of developing into children, teens, and adults who are happy, healthy, and competent. Research also shows that a relationship with a consistent, caring adult in the early years is associated in later life with better academic grades, healthier behaviors, more positive peer interactions, and an increased ability to cope with stress.

Brain development in infants is positively affected when parents work to understand and meet their basic needs for love and affection or provide comfort when they are hungry, bored, tired, wet, or cold. Conversely, neglectful and abusive parenting can have a negative effect on brain development. Research shows that a lack of contact or interaction with a caregiver can change the infant’s body chemistry, resulting in a reduction in the growth hormones essential for brain and heart development. Furthermore, the ability to feel remorse and empathy are built on experience. Children who lack early emotional attachments or who grow up fearful and expecting to be hurt will have a diffi cult time relating to peers.

As children grow, nurturing by parents and other caregivers remains important for healthy physical and emotional development. While physical contact becomes less important, listening and talking become more vital to the relationship. Parents nurture their older children by being involved and interested in the child’s school and other activities, aware of the child or teen’s interests and friends, and willing to advocate for the child when necessary.

When parents spend time and energy discovering and paying attention to their children’s needs, they are rewarded with positive, open, and trusting relationships with their children. Parents who develop the ability to respond sensitively to the needs of their child, no matter what age, will fi nd parenting easier and more enjoyable.

Exploring Strengths and Needs
Regardless of the child’s age, parents can take advantage of opportunities in their sometimes hectic lives to listen and respond to their child in a nurturing way. Even a few minutes of quality time in the car, at the store, or while cooking dinner mean so much to a child.

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The five protective factors are:

• Nurturing and attachment—The importance of early bonding, as well as nurturing throughout childhood helps parents build a close bond with their children and better understand, respond to, and communicate with their children.
• Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development—Information about what to anticipate as children develop and strategies for effective parenting will help parents learn what to look for at each age and how to help their children reach their full potential.
• Parental resilience—How parents cope and problem solve affects their ability to deal effectively with everyday stress or a major crisis. Recognizing the signs of stress and knowing what to do about it can help parents build their capacity to cope.
• Social connections—Identifying ways to help parents expand their social networks and build a broader base of parenting support is very important. Parents with an extensive network of family, friends, and neighbors have better support in times of need.
• Concrete supports for parents—Finding out what basic resources are available in the community and how to access them to address family-specifi c needs such as fi nancial, housing, etc. will help families meet their basic needs and allow parents to attend to their role as parents. Caregivers with access to fi nancial, housing, and other concrete resources that help them meet their basic needs can better attend to their role as parents.

Which Protective Factors Are Most Important?

Research has shown that the following protective factors are linked to a lower incidence of child abuse and neglect:

Nurturing and Attachment. A child’s early experience of being nurtured and developing a bond with a caring adult affects all aspects of behavior and development. When parents and children have strong, warm feelings for one another, children develop trust that their parents will provide what they need to thrive, including love, acceptance, positive guidance, and protection.

Knowledge of Parenting and of Child and Youth Development. Discipline is more effective when parents know how to set and enforce limits and encourage appropriate behaviors based on the child’s age and level of development. Parents who understand how children grow and develop can provide an environment where children can live up to their potential. Child abuse and neglect are often associated with a lack of understanding of basic child development—or an inability to put that knowledge into action. Timely mentoring, coaching, advice, and practice may be more useful to parents than information alone.

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What are Protective Factors?

Protective factors are conditions in families and communities that, when present, increase the health and well-being of children and families. They are attributes that serve as buffers, helping parents who might otherwise be at risk of abusing their children to fi nd resources, supports, or coping strategies that allow them to parent effectively, even under stress. Protective factors are positive attributes that strengthen all families, not just those at risk, so families do not feel singled out or judged.

For years, researchers have been studying both the risk factors common among families experiencing abuse and neglect and those factors that protect families who are under stress. There is growing interest in understanding the complex ways in which these risk and protective factors interact, within the context of a child’s family, community, and society, to affect both the incidence and consequences of abuse and neglect. For each protective factor, the focus is on helping parents identify and build on their strengths and on empowering them to identify strategies for enhancing their parenting capacity.

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