Messages from Invulnerable Children in Asian Villages: The Conditions That Protect Development.

Over the past decade, there has been a worldwide search for caretaking factors which protect children from poverty, poor health, and neglect. This search has shifted in focus from unchangeable risk factors to conditions and behaviors that can be taught to caregivers. These conditions seem to be: (1) based in species-wide needs; (2) specific to regional variation in village and urban settings; or (3) extant in particular cultural contexts. In this presentation, an ecologic framework is used in a consideration of interacting levels of risk and protection: from the child, to the family, to community and national levels. Seminal works of Sameroff and Chandler, Rutter, and Werner are reviewed. Also considered are field reports from research and intervention programs from developing countries. Research on the caretaking correlates of child growth and development in 12 villages in Central Java is used to provide a case example of the use of information on optimal development in program design. The presentation attempts to draw together current knowledge about protective factors, with special attention to verbal stimulation, emotionally responsive caregivers, and opportunities to explore the environment. The presentation attempts to identify behaviors which equip children to cope with adversity and which are transmittable without major social upheaval or expense. (RH)