1. The Promise of the
Positive in the
Study of Resilience
Sherry Hamby
University of the South
Collaborators: Victoria Banyard & John Grych
Presented August 2, 2013 at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Honolulu, HI.
Research supported by The John Templeton Foundation.
sherry.hamby@sewanee.edu or lifepaths@sewanee.edu

2. The Way Things Were…
and were and were and were
Vincent Van
Gogh—
No relief for
mental illness
Cain & Abel in
Titian’s rendition
Rape of the Sabine Women, event 750BC
depicted by Nicolas Poussin about 1635
Henry
VIII, problematic
partner
2

3. Centuries Go By…
• …and slowly many mental health problems
and many adversities are seen less as an
inherent part of existence, and more as health
and social problem that can be addressed. In
1824, the first modern humane organization is
founded….
3

4. • …to protect cats, dogs, and
other animals!
• It is the Royal Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals, founded 1824
(www.rspca.org.uk)
• Followed in 1866 by U.S.
version (www.aspca.org).
4

5. The Beginnings of a Social Movement
• Shortly afterwards, it occurred to
some to organize the first Societies for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
too.
• “It is not alone the lower animals that
are subject to ill-treatment and
cruelty.” (The Northern
Budget, Troy, N.Y., 1867, cited by
NYSPCC, 2000)
• 1st society est. in New York, 1875
Mary Ellen, who, in
1873, became the
first child to
receive a child
protection
intervention.
5

6. The Modern Discovery of Psychology
• Late 1800s, early 1900s: The invention of
the “talking cure” & the discipline of
psychology
• 1800s, early 1900s: 1st laws limiting or
abolishing right to beat one’s wife passed in
England, France, some U.S. states.
• Post WWII—Psychotherapy goes
mainstream.
• 1962—The medical establishment
“discovers” child abuse as a cause of
traumatic injury (Kempe, 1962).
• Early 1970s—1st refuges/shelters
• Late 20th century: Huge social movements
emerged to address all kinds of
psychological issues.
• Healthcare, schools, criminal justice, social
services, policymakers—all major social
institutions become involved.
6

7. A Surprising Amount of Disclosure
• Important innovations in social science
research, such as the U.S. National
Crime Survey and Kinsey’s surveys on
sexual behavior.
• Research established that people would
disclose
– Violent behavior
– Intimate behavior
1948: An early scientific bestseller
• Straus, Gelles, & Steinmetz established
that people would also disclose
violence by intimates to researchers.
• Mary Koss first presented on Hidden
Rape in 1980.
The 1975 National Family Violence Survey

8. Despite Strides, Limitations
8

9. The Field of Violence
Dating violence
Child abuse
IPV
Community
Violence
Sexual assault
Family violence
Bullying
9

10. More Silos of Psychology
Adversity
Coping
IPV
Psychology of Religion
& Spirituality
Resilience
Positive psychology
Community psychology
10

11. Grant reviewers
like low-risk
(=repetitive)
methods
Journal
reviewers like
familiar
methods too
Journal reviewers
often seem to prefer
results that confirm
their preconceptions
Grant reviewers
like familiar
questionnaires
Tenure based on #
more than quality
Drags
on
Science
Authors do lit reviews
when they write their
papers, not when
they plan their
studies
From The Web of Violence, Hamby & Grych, 2013
11

12. 12

13. Too Much Focus on Problems,
Not Strengths
13

14. Much of Violence Research
Technology is Stalled in the
1970s
14

15. Looking For Communication Across
Silos & Further Progress Promoting
Well-Being
15

16. TWO NEW STRENGTHS-BASED
PROJECTS ON COPING AND
RESILIENCE:
1) BATTERED WOMEN’S
PROTECTIVE STRATEGIES
2) LIFE PATHS RESEARCH
PROJECT
16

17. BATTERED WOMEN’S
PROTECTIVE STRATEGIES:
STRONGER THAN YOU KNOW
17

18. A Deficit-Focused Paradigm & A
Limited Research Base
• We ask women over and over about
trauma symptoms, substance use, and
their own perpetration, but almost never
ask about resources & strengths.
• We teach the cycle of violence even
though it is based on a single qualitative
study more than 30 years old.
• Safety planning is an almost universal
service, but almost no safety planningbased research exists, either to map
typical safety planning steps or the
effectiveness of formal safety plans.
The photo
accompanying my
blog on “The Many
Strengths of
Battered Women”
at OUP
18

19. Recognizing Strengths Requires
Recognizing All the Risks
• Danger to self, yes, but also:
• Danger to others
• Other risks created by batterer (custody battles,
threats to ruin credit, kidnapping children, etc)
• Financial risks and obstacles
• Institutional risks and obstacles
• Social risks (family rejection, stigma, etc)
• Personal values that influence coping
19

20. Battered Women’s Protective
Strategies
Immediate
situational
strategies
Formal helpseeking
to
police, shelters, and
other services
Protecting
children, family, and
pets
Protective
Strategies
Invisible strategies
(under-recognized
actions women
take)
Turning to religious
and spiritual
resources
Reaching out for
social support
20

21. Immediate Situational Strategies
• Escaping the scene: Leave the house, Run to another room, Lock
oneself in a room, Get into (or out of) a car, Walk away calmly
• Luring away from dangerous parts of the house: Keep
perpetrator away from gun cabinets, kitchens, etc.
• Calling for help: Signal a neighbor or child, Teach children who
to get help, Get a pay-as-you-go phone, Keep a landline telephone,
Scream, Pass a note or leave a message in a public place
• Defusing strategies: Distract with other activities such as making
tea, Hold hand/cuddle with perpetrator, even if do not feel
affectionate, Keep things quiet, Talk batterer out of abuse
• Protecting children or others from the attacker
• Self-defensive actions: Use force to stop perpetrator’s assault,
Protect one’s body, Stop perpetrator from destroying objects
around house
21

22. •
Protecting Children, Family &
Pets on children and loved
Immediate protective strategies focused
ones: Physically insert themselves between batterer and
others, Try to get batterer to focus on them, Create code words and
safety plans with children or others, Send children to their rooms
or other safer location, Turn up stereo so children cannot hear
violence
• Longer term strategies for protecting children: Send children to
stay with relatives, Seek full legal custody, Help children process
experience, Volunteer at school, Delay leaving to protect children
• Protecting pets: Delay leaving to protect pets from batterer’s
threats, Enroll pets in “doggy day care” or place in kennel
• Protecting other family members, friends, and co-workers:
Quit job, Stay away from family and friends, Create separate
email account that batterer does not know
22

23. Reaching Out for Social Support
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Obtain emotional support
Stay with family or friends
Get financial or practical help with moving
Ask family or friend to accompany women to court or agencies
Ask for help filling out legal forms and other paperwork
Get help with child care
Get help with transportation
Ask family or friends to store belongings or extra keys
Ask family or friends to hold bank accounts or other assets in their
name
• Ask family to help negotiate a plan for reconciliation
• Ask boss or co-workers to re-arrange schedules
23
• Ask for security plan at the workplace

24. Turning to Religious & Spiritual
Resources
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Strength and perseverance from prayer & faith in God/higher power
Comfort from inspirational stories in religious texts
Hope for the future
Social support from clergy, other members of the congregation
Pastoral counseling from clergy
Free social activities
Help paying utility bills, home repair, transportation
Support during illness or following birth of child
Donations of food, clothing, furniture, and other necessities
Help with immigration status
Literacy and English as a second language classes
School supplies, winter coats, and free activities for children
24

25. Formal Helpseeking
• Contrary to stereotypes of passivity:
• Helpseeking for DV is similar to helpseeking for
psychological problems:
– 28% in Canadian survey (Bland et al, 1997)
– 26% in Europe (ESEMeD MHEDEA, 2004)
– 41% in U.S. (Wang et al, 2005), but most of this not
specialized help
• Psychiatrists 12%
• Other mental health providers 16%
• 66% of DV victims had sought formal services in
one Canadian survey (Barrett & Lapierre, 2010)
25

26. Types of Formal Helpseeking
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Going to a Domestic Violence Shelter
Other Domestic Violence Program Services
Info, referral, transportation, court accompaniment, etc
Calling the Police
Seeking Help from Victim Assistance Programs
Obtaining a Restraining Order/Order of Protection
Mental Health Services
Health Care
12-step programs such as Al-Anon
Other Social Services
Support groups
26

27. Invisible Strategies
•
•
•
•
Money, money, money
Arranging affairs
Wellness
Returning to batterer-yes, sometimes this is
safest, best option from a range of really rotten
choices
• Activism
27

28. LIFE PATHS RESEARCH
PROJECT
28

29. The Web of Violence
Child
Physical
Abuse
Intimate
Partner
Violence
Dating
Violence
Child
Neglect
Child
Sexual
Abuse
Community
physical
assault
Sexual
Assault &
Rape
Bullying
Elder
Abuse
Gang
violence
Robbery
Exposure to
community
violence

30. Interconnections in Representative Community Samples
Interconnection
Strength of association (OR)
Well-known, well-established connections
Exposure to IPV & child physical abuse
5.0 (NatSCEV; Hamby et al 2010)
Exposure to IPV & teen dating victimization
3.8 (NatSCEV; Hamby et al 2010)
Physical IPV & Stalking by intimate partner
7.0 (CDC, Krebs et al, 2011)
Physical IPV & sexual violence by intimate partner
2.4 (CDC, Krebs et al, 2011)
Strong but under-recognized connections
Exposure to IPV & neglect
6.2 (NatSCEV; Hamby et al 2010)
Exposure to IPV and sexual abuse by known adult
5.2 (NatSCEV; Hamby et al 2010)
Any physical assault & any sexual victimization
6.2 (NatSCEV, Finkelhor et al, 2009)
Any witnessed violence and any sexual victimization
4.5 (NatSCEV, Finkelhor et al, 2009)
Teen dating victimization and peer sexual harassment
5.3 (NatSCEV; Hamby et al 2012)
Weaker but still positive connections
Exposure to IPV and peer relational aggression
1.7 (NatSCEV; Hamby et al 2010)
Any property crime and any sexual victimization
3.2 (NatSCEV, Finkelhor et al, 2009)

31. What We Act Like We are
Comparing
IPV
victims
Nonvictim

32. What We are Comparing
IPV victim
Bullying victim
Maltreatment victim
Sexual assault victim
Bullying victim
Maltreatment victim
Sexual assault victim

33. Etiological Process Relevant to Most
Forms of Violence
Situation
• Environmental
Conditions
Person
• Cognitive Processes
– Beliefs about aggression
– Schemas
– Automatic cognitions
• Affective Processes
• Self-Regulation
• Personality
– Impulsivity
– Narcissism
– Heat
– Overcrowding
VIOLENCE
• Use of drugs/alcohol
• Social Integration
• Behavior of Others
– Hostility
– Rejection
• Relationship Context

34. • Considering multiple forms of
violence offers a more
comprehensive and integrated
approach to understanding
how these experiences can
lead to maladaptive outcomes
(including more violence).
• See Hamby & Grych (2013)
34

35. Towards even greater integration…
• The Web of Violence framework does not account for
adaptive outcomes seen in some children and adults
exposed to violence.
35

36. Towards even greater integration…
• The Web of Violence framework does not account for
adaptive outcomes seen in some children and adults
exposed to violence.
• Work on resilience shows that many individuals maintain
or regain healthy functioning following stressful and
traumatic events.
36

37. Towards even greater integration…
• The Web of Violence framework does not account for
adaptive outcomes seen in some children and adults
exposed to violence.
• Work on resilience shows that many individuals maintain
or regain healthy functioning following stressful and
traumatic events.
• A truly comprehensive model of the effects of violence
needs to account for adaptive and maladaptive outcomes
37

38. Examples of risk factors
• Individual:
– Poor self-regulation
– Low intellectual functioning
• Relational:
– Insecure attachment
– Inconsistent parenting
• Environmental
– Lower SES
– Unsafe neighborhood
38

39. Examples of protective factors
• Individual:
– Good self-regulation
– High intellectual functioning
• Relational:
– Secure attachment
– Consistent parenting
• Environmental
– Higher SES
– Safe neighborhood
• Identifying “protective” factors that simply
represent the flip side of “risk” factors does not
advance understanding of the processes leading
to adaptive outcomes
39

40. New Approaches to Resilience
• A new conceptual model for
resilience that focuses on 3 core
sets of individual strengths:
– interpersonal,
– regulatory, and
– spiritual
• We believe these fit into a
broader system of
personal, family, and community
resources to improve well-being
(not just lack of symptoms).
40

41. Towards a comprehensive model of the
impact of violence on health
Adapted from Sandler (2001)
Adversity
Violence
Other trauma
Resources
Individual
Relational
Environmental
Adaptive
Outcomes
Mediating Processes
-Secure relationships
-Coping Apps & Behs
-Sense of meaning
Maladaptive
Outcomes
41

42. Tools & Ideas For Moving
Forward
• Questionnaires still emphasize
negative risk factors too.
• Technology is a key step to
changing research practices
• Good to assess the density and
diversity of strengths & adversities
• We have developed numerous brief
measures that are suitable for
community samples, including
adolescents. We are freely
providing these for research &
clinical use.
42

43. The Broader Conceptual Framework
ROLE: Involvement in Violence
Victim
Perpetrator
Both
Mono-victim
Acute, Isolated, Single
form exposed
Mono-perpetrator
Criminal Specialists
Mono perpetrator-victim
Bully-victim
Mutual IPV
Poly-victim
Complex trauma
High ACES score
Also: Multiple type victim,
Multiple victim, Multiple
crime-type victim, Multiple
form exposed,
Poly-perpetrator
Criminal Generalists
Violent polymorphism
Poly perpetrator-victim
Delinquent-victim
Trauma-informed care
model
Repeat victim
Re-victimized, Chronic
victim, Complex trauma
Repeat perpetrator
Recidivist, Habitual
offender, Reconviction,
Revolving doors
Repeat perpetrator-victim
Cycle of violence,
Intergenerational
transmission
Adapted from Hamby & Grych, 2013

44. Coordinated Violence Prevention Model:
Hypothetical Common and Specific Elements

45. Where We Can Go
A technician preparing
penicillin in 1943
WE CAN HONOR THE
ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE
PAST WITHOUT GETTING
STUCK IN THE PAST.
• This point in the story is both sad &
happy.
• Sad: Unlike virtually every other
form of science, our technology is
mired in the 1970s. Our frameworks
focus too much on “half empty”
• Happy: There is information to guide
us and advances are attainable.
• Science is novelty, not convention.
• We need to push back on the
institutional forces that inhibit the best
scientific & clinical practices.
45