ABSTRACT
Despite the warranted attention to increased risk associated with exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), this is not the full picture. In fact, most individuals exposed to ACEs do not develop later health, mental health, and behavioral problems. Therefore, more research is needed on defining and understanding those developmental and social processes that promote lifespan resilience. This chapter focuses on empirical and theoretical knowledge related to developmental, social, and communal factors (e.g., positive parenting and community engagement) that benefit later resilience. These include proximal factors (e.g., family environment) and distal factors (e.g., neighborhood and community factors). Resilience needs to be understood in the context of human development. There may be sensitive developmental periods during which skills associated with resilience are best nurtured. Resilience-promoting interventions should be targeted to both the social context and the developmental stage of the at-risk individual.
