The Children's Bureau connects these dots well in its 2006 Child Abuse Prevention Month Packet. The following is adapted from it:

Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers are increasingly thinking about personal, family, and environmental factors that strengthen families and reduce the risk of abuse and neglect within families. Research shows that while certain risk factors have detrimental effects on children and families, other "protective" factors can mitigate those effects and provide benefits, resulting in greater resilience for parents and children. Successful family support activities and child abuse prevention programs are designed to promote these protective factors. A body of research has identified protective factors known to be correlated with reductions in child abuse and neglect:

• Parental resilience
• Nurturing and attachment
• Social connections
• Knowledge and parenting and child development
• Effective problem solving and communication skills
• Concrete support in times in need
• Social and emotional competence of children
• Healthy marriages

Research has found that the following are effective strategies that family support and child abuse prevention programs can use to bolster these protective factors:

• Facilitate friendships and support. Offer opportunities for parents in the neighborhood to get to know each other, develop support systems, and take leadership roles. Strategies may include sports teams, potlucks, classes, advisory groups, board leadership, and volunteer opportunities.
• Strengthen parenting. Develop ways for parents to get support on parenting issues when they need it. Possibilities include classes, support groups, in-home visits, tip sheets in pediatricians' offices, and resource libraries.
• Respond to family crises. Offer extra support to families when they need it, as in times of illness, job loss, housing problems, and other stressors.
• Link families to service opportunities. Provide referrals for job training, education, health care, mental health, and other essential services in the community.
• Support children's social and emotional development. Some programs specifically focus on helping children articulate their feelings and get along with others. When children bring home what they have learned in the classroom, parents benefit as well.

Adapted from Building on Strengths: Enhancing Protective Factors for Children and Families, National Clearinghouse of Child Abuse and Neglect Information.

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