Explain the Importance of Resilience in Children and Young People

Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties. In the book Night by Elie Wiesel, Elie and his dad did not have the best relationship in the beginning, but at the end of their very long journey they were inseparable. In the book Boy In the Boat by Daniel James Brown Joe did not really have a family until he made the rowing team, and until he met Joyce who would later become his wife and they would start a family. Human resilience is affected by family in both of these books.

Resilience, when asked to define and explain the act of being resilient, can be a hard thing to describe. It is something everyone must be at one point in their lives, and what some people must be every day. There are different levels to it, depending on what the person is going through at the time. However, resilience is commonly described as just staying strong in a tough situation or time in a person’s life. When something goes wrong, or something bad happens, the person affected doesn’t let it break them. They stand strong against whatever is being thrown at them, but they bend when they need to. Someone who is resilient is flexible, making sure they don’t crack under pressure. As Robert Jordan said in The Fires of Heaven, “The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived.”

People have learned to be resilient in order to overcome serious hardships. A person’s resilience can be seen through how they handle bad experiences; to be resilient in the face of adversity. People who never give up and always fight back even when it gets hard are resilient. Some believe that resilience is a trait that can be learned.

Resilience is about how an individual deals, resists, recovers and learns from adversity’s in life. If a child is resilient they are less likely to be damaged as a result of negative experiences and are more likely to learn from and move on. In order for a child to be resilient they need to believe in themselves and have others they can rely on in their lives.

On the other hand some factors work against one’s resiliency such as an absence of a parent, violence, and abuse. Being resilient is an ability learned throughout a person’s life and experiences. It cannot be taught but must be

Some children may have a better disposition/character that may make them gain resilience a little easier, for those that don't have such an 'easy' nature, they may need a little more help to gain pse skills to help them build up their

Everyone knows that some people can paint and draw better than others and you can also be artistic in many different styles. Resilience can be described in the same way, some are more resilient than others and many people have different ways of expressing resilience. Elizabeth Edwards lists a couple of different ways people can be resilient, "Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it's less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you've lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that is good". In the book 'The Glass Castle' by Jeannette Walls each character shows a different way to be resilient and how their resilience impacted their lives.

Resilience is the ability to overcome struggles. In the book Night, Elie Wiesel is put into a concentration camp during the Holocaust. During his time there, Elie would not have been able to be so resilient without his father by his side. In Boys in The Boat, Joe Rantz would also have struggled to overcome his struggles without his dad. However, without Joe’s father treating him so badly throughout his childhood Joe might not have been so motivated to prove to his father that he was strong. In both books, Joe and Elie both demonstrate resilience by using their family to overcome their struggles.

Resilience is the power or the ability to return to the original form. “Resilience is born by grounding yourself in your own loveliness, hitting notes you thought were way out of your range” (94). Father Gregory Boyle says this because he knows that resilience is needed in order to change. Resilience is important because we can become better people by doing things, we thought we couldn’t do. In the book, Tattoos on the Heart, The Power of Boundless Compassion, Boyle claims resilience is essential in our lives because it is the key to do better.

There are varieties of definitions in regards with resilience based on different perspectives (Arrington et al., 2000). For instance, from a developmental perspective, resilience can be defined as positive and successful outcomes despite challenging situations (Masten, 2007; Windle, 2010). Resilience can also be defined as recovery to normal functioning from adversity or coping well under currently risk conditions (Masten, 2007; Windle, 2010). However, not every language has the word “resilience”. For example, a phrase, “the ability to cope with adversity” (Ungar et al.,

Adults can help all children become resilient children by just being supportive parents. Parents must develop a caring relationship with the child. Being empathetic by attempting to validate and appreciate the child’s point of view on things. Having effectively communication and being an active listener. Giving the child the opportunity to respond in ways that avoid power struggles by not interrupting the child with how they supposed to feel. Making the child feel appreciated and special. Also, being a positive role model and receiving help from the community. This can also help the child gain their inner strength skills with confidence, critical thinking, self-control, responsibility and the positive outlook on things and participation.

1. How do “effortful control” and “affiliativeness” relate to positive outcomes in children and how do they relate to the “theory of resiliency?” Are these approaches sufficient?

Vulnerability and resilience among children continues to be a popular topic in research of developmental psychology. The two definitions are closely tied together as they are considered both sides to the spectrum. Schaffer (2006) defines vulnerability and resilience “as the susceptibility to develop malfunctioning following exposure to stressful life events, as opposed to the capacity to maintain competent functioning stress”. If stressful life events are the trigger here, why is it that some children are far more vulnerable, yet others are more resilient? The three studies discussed in this paper will attempt to explain why these differences occur and what can we do to enhance protective factors.

The resilience methodology seeks to build on strengths and strengthen the supports and opportunities of the child. Resilience plays a vital role in assisting a child in settling into a new placement, without experiencing major emotional difficulties. Three factors that promote resilience are secure base, Self-esteem and Self-efficacy(Grotberg, 2000). These can be influenced by positive experiences on a daily basis, some which will be highlighted throughout the assignment.

I believe it is one of the major determinants of resilience. Having personal attributes such as calm, patience and adventurous will facilitate us to become a more resilient person. We will not become panic-stricken and lose control of ourselves when we encounter adversity. Other positive traits such as cheerful and optimistic can also conduce to resiliency. It can help us to find positive meanings in our lives despite adversity. On the contrary, negative traits such as pessimistic, impulsive and emotionally unstable can affect our resiliency and also our well-being.