Abstract #263
Shared Adversities of Disadvantaged Children and Comic Superheroes as Resources for Promoting Resilience
Presenter: Maria Angela Mattar Yunes Co - Presenters: Chris Fradkin, Gelson Weschenfelder
Abstract:
Studies indicate that disadvantaged children are at higher risk for behavioral problems and psychosocial issues, in relation to their non-disadvantaged peers. If these issues are not addressed in childhood, these children frequently mature into adults at higher risk for substance dependence, depression, and incarceration, in relation to societal norms. This study examined possible relationships and associations between the real-life adversities of disadvantaged children and the fictional adversities of popular comic superheroes, in their pre-cloak, pre-costume stage of life. An indexing of comic superheroes was conducted. In the process, it was found that the most relevant superheroes, in terms of pop culture visibility (e.g., Spiderman, Batman, Superman) had a high commonality of shared adversities (e.g., abandonment by family, domestic violence and abuse) with several subgroups of disadvantaged children: orphaned and abandoned children. This untapped resource has potential among clinicians, social workers, and public policy designers for building resilience and promoting empowerment among this hi-risk child and adolescent group.
