From the Zone of Risk to the Zone of Resilience

Date

2015

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies

Abstract

This three-site investigation conducted in Argentina, Canada, and Ireland, examines the concept of resilience within specific socio-cultural contexts of child protection practice. The study seeks to understand how child protection workers (CPWs) construct and utilize the concept of resilience and how they enable resilient capacities in children and families. CPWs were encouraged to share client narratives of resilience and to reflect on how these narratives impact them in working with clients. The paper explores how working with resilient clients helps foster resilience to compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress in CPWs through a process of shared or vicarious resilience. Lastly, the study questions the role of child protection agencies in protecting the resilience of the worker. Resilience in this context may be defined as the capacity to sustain professional competence and commitment under conditions of adversity. A key finding in the study is the critical role of resilient teams in sustaining the resilience of the CPW. The rationale for this study is based on the assumption that CPWs have to develop the capacity for resilience and be able to sustain their own resilience in order to be effective in their work. Knowing how child protection workers can remain resilient and committed to children is of great interest to social workers and other professionals involved in this work. (Author Abstract)

Description

Keywords

Canada, Argentina, Ireland, child abuse, vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, research, International Resources

Citation

Hurley, D., Alvarez, L., & Buckley, H. (2015). From the Zone of Risk to the Zone of Resilience. International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies, 6(1), 17-51.

DOI