What is it about?
When children experience multiple forms of violence in their everyday lives—a concept known as poly-victimization—their psychological well-being is deeply affected. However, not all children react the same way. This longitudinal study tracked 971 students aged 7 to 13 in Spain to see what helps them stay resilient. The results show that children's own positive perceptions of their family and school environments play a critical protective role. When children feel safe, cared for, and supported at home and at school, the negative impact of violence on their mental health drops significantly. Interestingly, this protective environment works equally well for both boys and girls, with no significant differences based on gender.
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Why is it important?
Most research on childhood trauma and resilience relies on older adolescents or adults looking back at their past. Very few longitudinal studies look at how resilience develops during childhood from the direct perspective of the children themselves, especially for those under 10 years old or within the Spanish context. This study addresses that gap by evaluating the same children over a six-month period. Furthermore, these findings shift our understanding of resilience. It shows that resilience is not an extraordinary individual trait, but a dynamic process shaped by everyday, supportive environments like families and schools. This gives practitioners, educators, and policymakers a very practical tool: to protect vulnerable children, we must actively invest in and strengthen their support networks at home and in the classroom.
Perspectives
Conducting this longitudinal study was a deeply meaningful experience, building upon long-standing collaborations among our research team. What makes this work especially rewarding is that we prioritized children's self-reports rather than relying solely on adult or caregiver observations. Hearing directly from 971 young students in Spain allowed us to map out how their real-world environments protect them. Having our findings published in an APA journal like 'Psychological Trauma' is incredibly motivating. We hope this evidence serves as a clear call to action for schools and families to work together, establishing the vital environmental support systems that all children deserve to thrive.
Irene Montiel Juan
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Support over violence: How positive school and family environments mitigate the impact of poly-victimization on children’s well-being., Psychological Trauma Theory Research Practice and Policy, April 2026, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/tra0002184.
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