Profiles of Protective Factors among Children and Adolescents in the Child Welfare System

Protective factors have been established as moderators in the association among adverse experiences and future outcomes as suicidality in adulthood, performing child-to-parent violence or exhibiting trauma-related responses, therefore establishing the need to explore protective factors and their characteristics. The aim of this study is to identify profiles among protective factors in children and adolescents at risk, and to relate these profiles to several sociodemographic variables such as age, gender, country of origin (native as opposed to immigrant) and the type of family structure (being a single parent family or a bi-parent family). Data was collected from professionals involved in the Children Protective Services (CPS). Sample was composed by 635 children and adolescents involved in the CPS. Protective factors were assessed by the Adolescents and Children Risk of Abuse and Maltreatment Protective Factors Scale (ACRAM-PFS). A Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was estimated. Six profiles were retained. Membership to these profiles was associated to gender, age, family structure and country of origin. Country of origin showed significant association to several profiles. Information provided in this study is novel and can help to improve quality of interventions from an ecological perspective. Person-centered approach adds new light in the children maltreatment literature.This study is the first to analyze the latent profiles of protective factors against child maltreatment.We obtained six conceptually meaningful profiles.This information should be utilized to tailor more effective intervention programs.We also found significant differences in the proportion native and foreigner children.

Automated summary

This study aimed to identify profiles of protective factors in children and adolescents at risk and their associations with sociodemographic variables. The findings revealed six meaningful profiles related to these factors, and significant relationships were found between country of origin and these profiles. The results provide valuable insights for improving protective services and intervention programs.