Resilient early school-age children from maltreating homes: outcomes in late adolescence.

The interaction of individual and environmental characteristics over time in children from maltreating families is examined in order to explore the origins, scope, and stability of resilience in children from abusive and neglectful home environments. Response to supportive influences in the extended family and wider community, as well as determination to be different from abusive parents, is emphasized as crucial to resilient behavior and is illustrated by a case study.