Examining the Cumulative Effects of Protective Factors: Resiliency among a National Sample of High-Risk Youths

Abstract

Research has consistently suggested that individuals from high-risk environments who experience multiple risk factors are most susceptible to becoming delinquent. A substantial portion of these individuals, however, are resilient to the pressures within high-risk environments and thus do not become delinquent. While past research has identified protective factors that are independently correlated with resiliency, relatively few studies have investigated the cumulative effects that protective factors possess in promoting resiliency. Using a sample of 711 individuals from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, Child-Mother data set, this study investigates the cumulative effects of protective factors in fostering resiliency. The findings suggest that the accumulation of protection is positively correlated with resiliency over and above the effects of risk. The theoretical and policy implications of these findings are discussed.

Key Words:

• Resiliency
• protective factors
• delinquency
• developmental criminology
• early intervention