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Social Correlates
There is evidence that post-traumatic growth in children and adolescents is associated with the severity of exposure to traumatic events, however how they are related remains unclear. Some studies have found that youth who experience higher trauma exposure severity are more likely to experience post-traumatic growth, while other studies found no relationship between high trauma exposure and post-traumatic growth. Other studies have found that youth with moderate trauma exposure (as opposed to high and low trauma exposure) were most likely to experience post-traumatic growth. Post-traumatic growth among youth typically occurs after the development of post-traumatic stress symptoms; this suggests that these symptoms may be a prerequisite for post-traumatic growth However, how and why these symptoms lead to post-traumatic growth remains unclear.

A child or adolescent’s social environment is an important factor in the development of post-traumatic growth. Youth who have experienced life stressors prior to the traumatic event may be more likely to experience post-traumatic growth. Additionally, social support from family, teachers, and peers can increase the likelihood that growth will occur. Religiosity and spirituality may also play a role; youth who identify with a religion or spiritual practice are more likely to report post-traumatic growth. Though research on specific religious or spiritual groups is sparse, there has been some research among Jewish Israeli youth which suggests that youth who identify as religious experience increased appreciation of life, spiritual change, and sense of personal strength when compared to secular youth.

Individual Correlates
Post-traumatic growth may be influenced by the way children and adolescents use psychological processes (rumination, coping) to work through traumatic experiences. Traumatized youth may have unintentional intrusive ruminations about traumatic events. They may also deliberately ruminate about these events in order to problem-solve. Both types of rumination have been found to be positively associated with post-traumatic growth, meaning rumination as a whole likely plays an important role in the development of post-traumatic growth. Children and adolescents may develop different coping strategies following trauma. Some may use avoidant coping techniques (changing behavior to avoid thoughts, feelings, or reminders of the trauma) while others may be “active copers” (utilize a problem-focused approach and skills such as cognitive reframing and acceptance). Research has found that youth who engage in active coping experience more post-traumatic growth when compared to avoidant copers. Youth who display traits such as positive affect, optimism, hope, and high self-esteem are more likely to experience growth.

Though there is no conclusive age threshold as to when post-traumatic growth can occur, there is some evidence that older children may be more likely to experience growth. Post-traumatic growth likely requires complex cognitive processes such as emotion regulation, adaptive coping strategies, and capacity for self-reflection. These skills may be developmentally out of reach for younger children, which has led some to theorize that the earliest developmental stage at which post-traumatic growth can occur may be around age seven.

Role of Caregivers
Parents and caregivers can have a marked impact on children and adolescents' reactions to adversity. Because the mental processes of children and adolescents are still developing, caregivers have the power to cultivate factors that yield post-traumatic growth. For instance, the way caregivers respond to their child's disclosure of trauma is key in determining how the child will cope with distress, regulate emotions, and appraise their own experiences. Adaptive caregiver responses to trauma may vary based on cultural context, as the ways in which parents discuss emotion and trauma may differ greatly from culture to culture. Little research has been done to elucidate the relationship between parenting, culture, and post-traumatic growth, however it is evident that both trauma responses and parenting styles vary across cultures.