Resilience

About resilience
What makes children resilient?
Characteristics of resilience
Ways to promote resilience
The value of recreational programs
References
Resources

About Resilience

Life is never perfect but children can learn ideas and ways of thinking that provide some protection from psychological harm.  Resilience is the ability to adapt to adverse events and circumstances without undue negative psychological effects.  It’s the ability to “pick yourself up and dust yourself off” and get on with life after facing difficulties.  Being resilient helps children to deal with adversity, such as poverty, and other stressors.

“Resilience” is a relatively new concept, developed in the 1990s as researchers sought to understand how some children can go on to be successful adults – fulfilled at work and in their relationships – despite a childhood spent in poverty, or in homes or communities where violence was common and hopelessness pervaded everyday life.

The researchers concluded that these children were able to overcome their difficult backgrounds because they had developed the ability to cope, and remain hopeful, even during times of adversity.  Self-confidence and the ability to identify and control feelings (emotional regulation), to solve problems, and to understand how other people feel (empathy) are all characteristic skills and abilities of resilient children and adolescents. 

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