The Invulnerable Child

Abstract

The concept of the invulnerable child is new to the literature of psychology. The invulnerable child is one who in a highly-stressed environment seems to be highly resilient, to survive, and even thrive in situations where most children develop mild to severe problems. The dynamics behind the concept are still poorly defined; however, the phenomenon is widely acknowledged and is becoming well-documented (Burke, 1978; Anthony, 1974; Garmezy, 1976). The identification of these children and their apparent invulnerability has emerged in several studies of children with divorced or psychotic parents, from environments with a high delinquency rate, and from families under high levels of strain. These serendipitous findings have come out of "risk" research which has attempted to identify factors which could damage children's lives, either physically or emotionally. The concept is an exciting one for nurses involved with children and their families because it offers an entirely new direction for assessment and intervention. In other word, if it is possible to help children develop resilience in the face of a troubled environment the rewards may be large. The more usual approach which attempts to reduce the strain is often a futile exercise.