Prof. Dr. Tina Malti
Humboldt Science Centre for Child Development, Leipzig University, Germany
Labroratory for Scioal-Emotional Development and Intervention, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada
Flourishing Amid Adversity: Caring with Kindness
Why do some children flourish amid adversity, while others struggle? My talk will provide new insights into research on the development of children’s healthy development amid adversity and explore the buffering effects of kindness on exposure to trauma. I begin by describing developmental trajectories of social-emotional development and links to mental health, Next, data on impacts of exposure to war-related conflict and trauma on children’s social-emotional growth and wellbeing are presented. I will then discuss the role of kindness in the relationship between children’s positive development and exposure to adversity. Lastly, I will elaborate on the implications of these lines of work for intervention practices aimed at reducing the negative effects of exposure to trauma on child development via caring relationships and kindness.
TINA MALTI is an Alexander von Humboldt professor of early child development and health at Leipzig University and founding director of the Humboldt Science Center for Child Development (HumanKind) at the same institution. She is the current president of the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD) and a registered clinical child psychologist. Her research interests focus on social-emotional development, mental health, and interventions aimed at helping children reach their full potential, overcome the negative effects of exposure to trauma and violence, and cultivate kindness.