Multisystemic enablers of sub-Saharan child and youth resilience to maltreatment

Abstract: The resilience of sub-Saharan children and youth to abuse and neglect is under-researched. In particular, the multisystemic and contextually sensitive nature of their resilience is under-appreciated. Purpose In response we conceptualized a discussion paper. Its intention is to make a case for a contextually relevant, multisystemic understanding of the resilience of sub-Saharan children and youth with exposure to maltreatment. Method This discussion paper draws on a critical analysis of pertinent peer-reviewed publications. It also draws on our lifelong residence in sub-Saharan Africa and related insight into this region’s situational and cultural dynamics. Results We advance three assertions regarding the multisystemic nature of sub-Saharan young people’s resilience to abuse and neglect : (i) family↔communities are pivotal to sub-Saharan child and youth resilience to maltreatment; (ii) institutional supports matter too, particularly when multiple systems interact to provide networks of institutional support; and (iii) the resilience-enabling potential of built and natural environments is yet to be fully harnessed. Conclusion Interacting social and ecological system factors and processes matter for the resilience of sub-Saharan children and youth who experience abuse and neglect. Appreciation for their complexity and contextual fit are crucial to practice and policy efforts to advance the protection and wellbeing of sub-Saharan young people