Resilience profiles of children previously exposed to parental gender-based violence: A longitudinal decision tree analysis

Abstract

Background Children exposed to parental violence (CEPV) may experience a range of adverse outcomes compared to non-exposed peers yet may demonstrate resilience shaped by both internal and external protective factors. Objective To longitudinally explore the profiles of protective factors in children across the continuum of resilience (i.e., low, moderate, high, and exceptional). Participants and setting Parent-reported data were collected on behalf of 211 CEPV ( M age = 10.11, SD = 2.21) residing across Canada. Methods Grounded in Resiliency Theory, this longitudinal study used online surveys administered at three timepoints to assess children's resilience and protective factors. Results Decision tree modelling at baseline found that children with exceptional resilience were more likely to have better health ( χ 2 = 56.23, p < 0.001), with whole-family support further bolstering resilience ( χ 2 = 20.66, p < 0.001; χ 2 = 21.76, p < 0.001). At T2, exceptional resilience was associated with perceiving child welfare services as supportive ( χ 2 = 76.55, p < 0.001), with additional benefits from economic support ( χ 2 = 35.08, p < 0.001). At T3, high resilience was linked to perceived supportiveness of therapy services ( χ 2 = 122.91, p < 0.001), further strengthened by caregiver perceptions of women's shelter support ( χ 2 = 25.55, p < 0.001). Conclusions These findings suggest that supporting CEPV resilience requires attention to individual assets, safety and stability needs, and access to supportive services addressing violence exposure. This underscores the necessity of trauma- and violence-informed, integrated approaches that extend beyond individual- and family-level factors.