McNair Research Journal - University of St. Thomas

Humanities & Social Sciences
Trauma and Resilience:
What we can learn from Naruto
Mai Cha Vang & Jean Giebenhain, PhD
University of St. Thomas - Department of Psychology
This study examines trauma and resiliency in the Naruto graphic
novel/manga series. The characters Naruto (hero) and Gaara (villain) are
examined using the framework of the Search Institute’s 40 Developmental
Assets. This study investigates the developmental assets that contribute to
Naruto’s resilience, as well as factors that could contribute to Gaara’s negative
trajectory. Suggestions for using “Naruto” in a therapeutic context are also
discussed.
Key words: trauma, resiliency, Naruto, manga, fiction
Introduction
Impact of Trauma
Trauma can happen at any time in any stage of life. It can shake the
foundation of any person’s beliefs about safety and their basic level of trust
(Baldwin, 2008). For a child that is still learning to understand the world,
a single traumatic experience may affect personality development and
contribute to psychological disturbances. Chronic and severe maltreatment
have even greater consequences on the child’s psychology because
trauma has a direct impact on neurological development (Weitzman,
2005). Up to 81% of men and women in psychiatric hospitals diagnosed
with a major mental illness have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse
with 67% of them exposed to prior childhood abuse (Hodas, 2006).
Childhood trauma is especially important because it directly impacts the
foundation of the developing brain and the child’s beliefs and perception
of the world. Childhood trauma, in addition to physical, sexual, and
verbal abuse, includes spurning, terrorizing, rejecting, and isolation
(Kairys et al., 2002). It can also involve anything that could cause the
child to feel worthless, endangered, or as if his/her only value in life lies in
meeting someone else’s needs (Murray, 2008). How the child responds to
such experiences depends on the type of trauma, age, gender, chronicity
and severity of the event, and family interaction (Kairys et al., 2002;
Weitzman, 2005). Therefore, a child’s adjustment to life will be deeply
influenced by what follows the traumatic event (e.g., additional trauma or
social support; Muller et al., 2008).
Research has found that a child’s adjustment is influenced by many factors
(Hodas 2006). These include characteristics related to the individual
child—age, past exposure to trauma, presence of pre-existing social
support; characteristics related to trauma exposure—proximity of the
trauma, specific type of trauma, gender, relationship to the perpetrator,
severity, duration and frequency of trauma, chronicity of trauma; along
with post traumatic factors such as early intervention and societal support
and response. Hodas (2006) also found that the younger the child’s age
when the trauma occurs, the more profound the effect. Following the
abuse, those who view themselves and others more positively have higher
levels of perceived support than those who view themselves and others
more negatively (Muller et al., 2008; Brassard & Riverlis, 2006).
Both pre and post-trauma factors influence the child’s adjustment to
trauma. To help decrease negative effects of childhood trauma, psychology
must find ways to help these children cope. What are the factors that can
help children when facing trauma?
Search Institute: Developmental Assets
The Search Institute, a non-profit organization, has studied more than 2.2
million children and adolescents in their investigations to determine what
Mai Cha Vang
Trauma and Resilience
factors promote resiliency. Their extensive research has led to a framework
consisting of 40 developmental assets, which are associated with positive
outcomes for children and teens. This framework of 40 Developmental
Assets is broadly separated into 20 External and 20 Internal assets, listed
within eight broad categories. External Assets include: Support, Empowerment,
Boundaries and Expectation, and Constructive Use of Time. Internal
Assets are divided into: Commitment to Learning, Positive Values, Social
Competencies, and Positive Identity. Results from comprehensive research
by the Search Institute have repeatedly shown a strong positive correlation
between the number of assets a child possesses and promotion of positive
behaviors and attitudes (e.g. students who have 31 or more assets have a
40% greater chance to do academically better in school than students with
10 or fewer assets; Search Institute).
Descriptions of the Assets and Supportive Research
External Assets:
1. Support Assets: Family Support, positive family communication, other
adult relationships, caring neighborhood, caring school climate, and parent
involvement in schooling.
To have these assets, a child must be loved, affirmed, and accepted for
who she/he is. Previous studies have shown support from adults in the
neighborhood can reduce exposure to violence (Levine & Rosich, 1996;
Melton, 1992; Sampson et al., 1997). Adult support has also been
correlated with greater self-esteem, hopes for the future, and cheerfulness
(Talmi & Harter, 1998), and can lead to more pro-social behavior and
fewer behavior problems for the child (Cochran & Bo, 1989). Research
also supports the importance of bonding between a parent and child to
promote resilience: youth whose parents show love and care toward them
are less likely to be involved in violence (Aspy et. al, 2004).
2. Empowerment: Community values children, children as resources, services
to other, and safety.
Overall, empowerment is conceptualized as 1) “how safe a youth feels and
what kind of role the youth feels he or she is in making the community a
better place”, and 2) “how a young person perceives the adults’ view of
youth generally” (p. 51; Scales & Leffert, 2004). Studies in this category
have shown that when youth feel valued in the community they live in,
they are more likely to approach self-actualization (Karnes et al., 1993),
have a higher level of moral reasoning (Bernard, 1990) and reduced
delinquency (Bilchik, 1995: Linquanti, 1992; Coordinating Council on
Juvenile and Delinquency Prevention, 1996). Getting involved as a
community volunteer has also been found to decrease the likelihood of
risk-taking behaviors, such as carrying a weapon or the likelihood of never
have been arrested (Rodine et al., 2006).
3. Boundaries and expectations: Family boundaries, school boundaries,
neighborhood boundaries, adult role models, positive peer influence, and high
expectations.
To navigate through life, a person usually needs boundaries and expectations
to serve as guidelines. Boundaries and expectations are “rules, standards
and norms pertaining to behavior” (p. 75,;Scales & Leffert, 2004)
dependent on the context. Boundaries and expectations are set either
through clear rules from family about certain things a child can or cannot
do, or they are also set by adults and peers who model responsible and
positive behaviors and expect the person to be the best they can be.
Research has shown that having positive adult role models is associated with
52 University of St. Thomas McNair Research Journal