Optimism in Children Exposed to Child Maltreatment

Abstract

Factors that predict optimism, the belief that positive things will happen in one's life, in youth who have experienced maltreatment were examined; specifically, positive family characteristics, life events, and social support resources were tested, all of which have been implicated in the research literature as potential predictors of optimism in youth. Measures of optimism, social support, and life events were completed by 46 youth in foster care, and their caregivers completed a measure of the family environment. Results showed that of the three hypothesized predictors of youth optimism, only life events significantly affected youths' levels of optimism. Results are somewhat consistent with general perspectives on how optimism develops, but point to the need to continue to study how optimism operates in children who have been exposed to maltreatment. Implications of these results for interventions and improvements to the foster care system are discussed.