ABSTRACT
Although children born to adolescent mothers are generally more likely than children with adult mothers to demonstrate problems in social, emotional, behavioral, and academic domains, they often display successful adaptation despite heightened risks and adversities. Increased research on the concept of resilience has re-
vealed that some at-risk children are able to adapt to, and persevere in, the face of challenging situations. In particular, highlighting the “twin themes” of risk and resilience has led many researchers to examine what have been referred to as protective factors or protective processes. Investigating sources of protection sheds some light on why children exposed to multiple stressful circumstances, such as poverty, neighborhood violence, or poor parenting practices, may experience positive developmental outcomes.
