Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

The Resident-intruder Paradigm: A Standardized Test for Aggression, Violence and Social Stress
Published on: July 4, 2013
Individual and collective dimensions of resilience within political violence
Cindy A Sousa1, Muhammad M Haj-Yahia, Guy Feldman
1Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, USA. csousa@brynmawr.edu
Abstract:
Research has documented a link between political violence and the functioning of individuals and communities. Yet, despite the hardships that political violence creates, evidence suggests remarkable fortitude and resilience within both individuals and communities. Individual characteristics that appear to build resilience against political violence include demographic factors such as gender and age, and internal resources, such as hope, optimism, determination, and religious convictions. Research has also documented the protective influence of individuals' connection to community and their involvement in work, school, or political action. Additionally, research on political violence and resilience has increasingly focused on communities themselves as a unit of analysis. Community resilience, like individual resilience, is a process supported by various traits, capacities, and emotional orientations toward hardship. This review addresses various findings related to both individual and community resilience within political violence and offers recommendations for research, practice, and policy.
Related Concept Videos
Impact of Individuals on Individuals
Impact of Individuals on a Group
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Impact of Groups on Groups
Self Within Cultural Contexts
Impact of Groups on Individuals

