Discuss the key processes within family belief systems, organizational patterns, and communication processes that contribute to resilience in the wake of traumatic mass violence.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers may include:
? Family resilience refers to the successful coping of families in the midst of stress or adversity (Black & Lobo, 2008; McCubbin & McCubbin, 1988). According to Walsh, it is necessary to build families’ capacity for resilience because, “Major stresses can derail the functioning of a family system, with ripple effects for all members and their relationships. . . . When families suffer, their children suffer.” Integrating ecological and developmental perspectives, Walsh (2003) proposed a family resilience framework that recognizes three key processes for resilience: (1) family belief systems (e.g., making meaning of adversity, positive outlook, transcendence, and spirituality), (2) organizational patterns (e.g., flexibility, connectedness, and social/economic resources), and (3) communication/problem solving (e.g., clarity, open emotional expression, and collaborative problem solving). This strength-based framework recognizes that adversity and crises impact the entire family, and family processes mediate adaptation of all members of the family and the family unit (Walsh, 2003, 2012).
? The degree of exposure (i.e., proximity to the attack sites, presence at a site, contact with a victim, and degree of watching events live on television) to the attacks significantly predicted subsequent psychological distress. In fact, degree of exposure was noted to be more predictive of distress than the degree of loss.
? A belief system that can meaningfully manage the loss and maintain a positive outlook can serve to protect a family from negative outcomes. Related to organizational patterns, families should be supported to be flexible in roles to deal with the new challenges, yet provide security and stability to reduce chaos; they should also strive to remain connected and rely on family and community resources (Walsh, 2007).
? The quality of parenting subsequent to an instance of mass trauma mediates the relationship between the trauma and child adjustment, and that the family is important given its role as “the most proximal social environment in which children learn patterns of adjustment”