Date of Conferral

2018

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Neal McBride

Abstract

An increased understanding of resilience may determine how human psychological development can result in positive outcomes despite adversarial situations. However, current studies have not provided a relevant predictive model that can adequately predict resilience, particularly among young adults exposed to domestic violence. Based on Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, the purpose of this quantitative noncomparative study was to examine whether domestic violence, age, gender, ethnicity, individual emotional and physical abilities, types of domestic violence exposure, and frequency of domestic violence exposure could adequately predict resilience among young adults. Quantitative data were collected from 118 young adults in the Midsouth region of the United States. The data were collected via a questionnaire and analyzed using a stepwise multiple linear regression. The results of the analysis were significant, indicating that the frequency of domestic violence exposure was a significant negative predictor of resiliency. These results suggested a need for further examination of environmental protective factors, according to Bronfenbrenner's ecological model, that may affect resilience development. By discovering factors that predict resilience, whether positive or negative, stakeholders can target interventions and develop policies that can eradicate the harmful social and psychological influences of domestic violence on children.

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