NCJ Number
186894
Date Published
November 2000
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper reports on Australian research that focused on the concept of "resilience," a new approach for analyzing how protective factors and processes operate in the lives of youth identified as being at risk.
Abstract
The researchers asked teachers in five State high schools (two in rural areas and three in disadvantaged metropolitan areas) and one metropolitan private Catholic college to identify students "at risk" aged 13 to 16 years who were displaying "resilient" and "non-resilient" behavior at the time of the study. This procedure yielded 35 girls and 36 boys, 38 of whom were judged to be displaying more resilient behavior and 33 who displayed more non-resilient behavior. These students participated in individual semistructured interviews that focused on various factors that have influenced their lives. The study found that resilience can be gained through protective factors and processes that may be located within the youth (e.g., learned attitudes or beliefs); in the family context (e.g., caring adults); or in schools and the community. The greater the number of protective factors and processes that surround a young person, the more likely he/she is to exhibit resilience. This finding highlights the need for programs that provide support to families in crisis, as well as for greater recognition of the nurturing role schools can play through the establishment of clubs and associations on school premises. Youth who demonstrated resilience believed that they had control over their lives, had a more positive view and plans for the future, and a stronger sense of attachment to other people and institutions. 17 references