Building Resiliency in Children The Magic Ingredient for a Successful Prevention Program

Mary Migliaro, M.Ed. Woodstock, Georgia missionpossibleconsulting.com Presented by: Mary Migliaro, M.Ed. Woodstock, Georgia missionpossibleconsulting.com

Anne Frank’s Diary I have lots of courage, I always feel so strong and as if I can bear a great deal, I feel so free and so young! I was glad when I first realized it, because I don’t think I shall easily bow down before the blows that inevitably come to everyone. (1944)

Questions Why are some children able to overcome extreme circumstances while others are not? Why do some children have the ability to bounce back from adversity while others are defeated by the mildest setbacks?

Resilience!

What is resilience? Psychologists use the word resilience to describe the ability to overcome adversity. Resilience refers to patterns of positive adaptation in the context of past or present adversity.

Rubber Band Kids https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP5sG4qb3Rk&index=4&list=PLGzul7Pi7BG_J7a58OTE-1YyFbKpp0vBG&t=1s

What does resilience look like? Resilience is really a group of personal strengths that include: Social competence Problem solving Autonomy Sense of purpose

Social Competence Responsiveness Communication Empathy, caring Compassion, altruism, forgiveness

Problem Solving Planning Flexibility Resourcefulness Critical thinking, insight

Autonomy Positive identity Internal locus of control, initiative Self-efficacy, mastery Adaptive distancing, resistance Self-awareness, mindfulness Humor

Sense of Purpose Goal direction, achievement motivation, educational aspirations Special interests, creativity, imagination Optimism, hope Faith, spirituality, sense of meaning

Are we born with resilience? We are all born with an innate capacity for resilience. The strength of our resiliency depends on identified risk factors as well as our protective factors.

How is resilience built? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSf7pRpOgu8&list=PLGzul7Pi7BG_J7a58OTE-1YyFbKpp0vBG&index=2

What does the research tell us about resilience? Initial research dealt with traditional “risk factors” that included: Poverty Abandonment Neighborhood violence Low social status, etc.

Risk Factor Areas Family – poverty, minority race, illness or death of a parent, etc. School – overcrowding, high student-teacher ratios, etc. Community – high mobility rates, high levels of neighborhood crime/violence, etc.

Prevention 101 Many prevention programs developed decades ago focused solely on education, ignoring risk or protective factors in an attempt to be successful. Examples: DARE, Just Say NO, Scared Straight, etc.

Longitudinal Studies Over the last several decades, a number of studies have followed children and their families for 20-30 years. They discovered that the vast majority of children survive and thrive in the face of adversity, often without intervention.

The studies showed… Protective factors buffer the effect of adversity and appear to predict positive outcomes in anywhere from 50 to 80 percent of a “high-risk” population.

In fact, about 70 to 75% of “at risk” children will overcome those risk factors and have a good outcome.

Lives Changed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3mWLQqn0JI&list=PLGzul7Pi7BG_J7a58OTE-1YyFbKpp0vBG&index=2&t=0s

Protective Factors Over the last several decades or so, researchers have begun to take into consideration protective factors in the areas of family, school, and community. Let’s explore…

Family School Community

Family Protective Factors Bond with child Nurture & protect Parenting style Values Encourage education Manage stress Spending time with child a priority Supportive relationships with extended family Seek professional support when needed

School Protective Factors Express positive expectations Encourage goal-setting & mastery Provide leadership opportunities Involves parents Fosters active involvement Trains teachers in cooperative learning Involves parents Staff models pro-social behavior

Community Protective Factors Opportunities for families to participate Youth involved in community services Provides social and health networks Health, safety, & quality of life a priority for families Access provided to resources including health care, job training, recreation, etc.

Who needs our help the most? In working with “at risk” populations, we need to carefully assess both the risk factors and all available protective factors. Those children and families with fewer protective factors will benefit most by positive interventions.

How does it work? Building resilience alters our belief about an adverse event or circumstance which will, in turn, improve the consequence from the adversity. Thus, how we react will change even if the adverse event cannot be changed.

How can we alter our thinking? By developing new thinking skills and finding a different way of looking at adversity.

We develop new thinking skills by… Recognizing that our beliefs about adversity affect how we feel and consequently what we do Challenging our beliefs about why things happen (uncovering our thinking style) Developing an awareness of common thinking traps or errors

Thinking Skills (cont’d.) Understanding that our core beliefs about the world may be preventing us from taking opportunities Gathering evidence to dispute/support beliefs; generating other alternatives

Thinking Skills (cont’d.) Putting stresses/adversities into perspective Calming and focusing Voices for Children - Canada

How can we build resiliency in children? By “building” better parents! When working with parents, help them learn the skills to building resiliency in their children.

Parenting Skills Teaching children problem-solving skills Encouraging children to express their feelings Implement “family time” to promote relaxing, constructive interactions

Give children meaningful responsibility to foster self-esteem Practice optimistic thinking Set realistically high expectations Learn to set realistic limits and be consistent in enforcing them

What else can we as service providers do? Treat the family as a system of interdependent members Provide safe, nurturing, and consistent intervention and/or treatment environments

Model appropriate interpersonal behaviors Build skills in self-care, coping, safety, and interpersonal communication.

How can we help children increase their resilience? Increase parental support and abilities Provide mentors Work with schools and community to decrease risk factors and increase protective factors

The Secret Ingredient Formula Excellent prevention program + Families with children + Increasing protective factors = Stronger & more resilient kids!