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| Source: RMC Research Corporation, Denver, CO,
May 2004
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The concept of resilience is based on the theory that
particular traits or “protective factors” such as
caring relationships and high expectations help strengthen
people’s resolve, enabling them to persist during
adversity.Researchers have found that resilience is an attribute
that can be developed and fostered within an individual (Benard
1999).Schools, families, and communities can all take steps to
build resilience in young people.
The resiliency building process begins by focusing on
underlying protective factors apparent in those who do not become
involved in adverse situations.Protective factors are the
characteristics within a person or the environment that serve as a
defense during stressful life events.Milstein and Henry (2000)
specified the following protective factors:
- Prosocial bonding;
- Clear and consistent boundaries;
- Life skills;
- Caring and support;
- High expectations; and
- Meaningful participation.
To build students’ resilience, educators first
should learn to develop their own resilience to model strengths and
positive characteristics.Educators can do so by intentionally
developing attitudes and skills related to each of the protective
factors.Modeling alone, however, will not produce fully resilient
young people.Educators can strengthen others’ resiliency by
helping individual students to become aware of and build upon their
personal strengths.
Resiliency in the classroom or in the school is a key part
of the academic culture; it encompasses your attitudes and
interactions with students.For example, if educators are caring,
students are likely to be more caring.If teachers and parents have
high expectations, students are more likely to live up to the
expectations.
Service-learning programs that build in protective factors
can also help build students’ resiliency.Helpful examples of
resiliency frameworks used in schools are available on various Web
sites.Use the following collection of the best resources to guide
your research and practice. | | | | Web Resources | | |
Provides information on grants and funding,
programs, and other publications and
resources.
Offers products, materials, and services to those in
education, treatment, and prevention. From the homepage, click on
the link for publications and choose the following
resource: T. S. Bickart and S. Wolin.
"Practicing Resilience in the Elementary
Classroom." Principal 77, no. 2
(1997, November).
Offers products and information on resiliency,
classes and presentations, and an interactive resiliency forum.
From the homepage, click on the link to the
article Benard, B. "The Foundations
of the Resiliency Framework: From Research to Practice."
In Resiliency in Action: Practical Ideas for
Overcoming Risks and Building Strengths in Youth, Families, and
Communities. N. Henderson, N.
Sharp-Light, and B. Benard eds., 1999.http://www.resiliency.com/htm/research.htm
Winfield, L. NCREL Monograph:
Developing resilience in urban youth. North Central
Regional Educational Laboratory’s Urban Education
Program,1994.
| | Print Resources | | |
- Benard, B. Fostering Resiliency in Kids:
Protective Factors in the Family, Schools, and
Community. San
Francisco: WesternRegional Center forDrug-FreeSchools and Communities,
1991
- Henderson, N., and M. Milstein.
Resiliency in Schools.Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin Press, 1996.
- Kraft, N., and J. Wheeler.
"Service-Learning and Resilience in Disaffected
Youth: A Research Study."
In Deconstructing Service-Learning: Research Exploring
Context, Participation, and Impacts, Shelley Billig and Janet
Eyler, eds. Greenwich,CT: Information Age Publishing, 2003.
- Milstein, M., and D. Henry. Spreading
Resiliency: Making it Happen for Schools and
Communities. Thousand
Oaks, CA:Corwin Press,
2000.
- Seligman, M. Learned
Optimism. New York: Alfred
A. Knopf, Inc., 1991.
- Waxman, H., J. Gray, and Y. Padron. Review of
Research on Educational Resilience. Santa
Cruz, CA:University ofCalifornia, Center for Research on Education,
Diversity & Excellence, 2003.
- Wolin, S. J., and S. Wolin. The Resilient
Self. New York: Villard
Books, 1994.
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