Building Resilience in Young Children the Sesame Street Way

Annals of The New York Academy of Sciences, 2006

Abstract: There are many advantages of using resilience as a framework to guide the screening, assessment, and promotion of social–emotional health in children. This article reviews which individual attributes are most important for the resilience of elementary school-age children, as primarily determined by the positive attribute's ability to discriminate between typically developing children and those with disciplinary, mental health, and/or special education referrals or services. This research lends itself to a practical framework to scientifically measure and utilize individual social–emotional strengths for the purposes of fostering resilience in all children.

2021

Family Relations, 2015

Resilience can be defined as establishing equilibrium subsequent to disturbances to a system caused by significant adversity. When families experience adversity or transitions, multiple regulatory processes may be involved in establishing equilibrium, including adaptability, regulation of negative affect, and effective problem-solving skills. The authors’ resilience-as-regulation perspective integrates insights about the regulation of individual development with processes that regulate family systems. This middle-range theory of family resilience focuses on regulatory processes across levels that are involved in adaptation: whole-family systems such as routines and sense of coherence; coregulation of dyads involving emotion regulation, structuring, and reciprocal influences between social partners; and individual self-regulation. Insights about resilience-as regulation are then applied to family-strengthening interventions that are designed to promote adaptation to adversity. Unresolved issues are discussed in relation to resilience-as-regulation in families, in particular how risk exposure is assessed, interrelations among family regulatory mechanisms, and how families scaffold the development of children’s resilience.

Family Relations

Resilience can be defined as establishing equilibrium subsequent to disturbances to a system caused by significant adversity. When families experience adversity or transitions, multiple regulatory processes may be involved in establishing equilibrium, including adaptability, regulation of negative affect, and effective problem-solving skills. The authors' resilience-as-regulation perspective integrates insights about the regulation of individual development with processes that regulate family systems. This middle-range theory of family resilience focuses on regulatory processes across levels that are involved in adaptation: whole-family systems such as routines and sense of coherence; coregulation of dyads involving emotion regulation, structuring, and reciprocal influences between social partners; and individual self-regulation. Insights about resilience-as-regulation are then applied to family-strengthening interventions that are designed to promote adaptation to adversity. Unresolved issues are discussed in relation to resilience-as-regulation in families, in particular how risk exposure is assessed, interrelations among family regulatory mechanisms, and how families scaffold the development of children's resilience.

2011

This commentary outlines the strengths of the resilience-based family therapy approach. It describes the need for additional research in this area to advance the field and particular challenges that the field faces.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2006

Although resilience is usually thought to reside in individuals, developmental research is increasingly demonstrating that characteristics of the social context may be better predictors of resilience. When the relative contribution of early resilience and environmental challenges to later child mental health and academic achievement were compared in a longitudinal study from birth to adolescence, indicators of child resilience, such as the behavioral and emotional self-regulation characteristic of good mental health, and the cognitive self-regulation characteristic of high intelligence contributed to later competence. However, the effects of such individual resilience did not overcome the effects of high environmental challenge, such as poor parenting, antisocial peers, low-resource communities, and economic hardship. The effects of single environmental challenges become very large when accumulated into multiple risk scores even affecting the development of offspring in the next generation.

Encyclopedia on Early Childhood …, 2005

Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 2000

TOPIC. An organizational framework for conceptualizing resilience in children.PURPOSE. To propose a framework based on relevant literature that clarifies, differentiates, organizes, and elaborates on pertinent factors associated with resilience in children.SOURCES. Relevant literature from developmental psychology, child psychiatry, and nursingCONCLUSIONS. Salient factors affecting resilience in children originate internally or externally to the individual. Internal factors include biological and psychological factors; external factors are reflected in the nature and quality of relationships established within or outside the family group. The influence and importance of each factor, however, may vary in individual situations. The framework can guide research efforts and facilitate interventions for practice.

The Importance of Raising a Resilient Child in the 21st Century, 2025

The Importance of Raising a Resilient Child in the 21st Century By Dr. Sarath Perera In today's rapidly changing world, fostering resilience in children is crucial for their emotional, social, and academic well-being. Resilience enables children to face challenges, adapt, and recover from adversity. It is characterized by physical, mental, emotional, and social resilience. The article explores several theories of resilience, such as the Compensatory Model, Challenge Model, and Seligman’s 3Ps Model, each offering insights into how resilience develops. The importance of resilience is underscored by its benefits, including improved emotional well-being, better academic performance, enhanced social competence, and physical health. Resilient children manage stress better, regulate emotions, and adapt to change, preparing them for adulthood. To develop resilience, parents and educators should focus on strategies such as promoting emotional intelligence, fostering positive relationships, encouraging problem-solving, and modeling resilience. A safe environment and teaching coping strategies like mindfulness and relaxation can further support resilience development. In conclusion, resilience is a dynamic process that can be cultivated through intentional efforts. Investing in resilience today helps prepare children to thrive in the face of future challenges, ensuring a sustainable future for the next generation.

Psicologia Escolar e Educacional (Impresso), 1998

Considers the meaning of the term childhood resilience and the importance ofits place in the fields of developmental psychopathology and wellness enhancement. Reviews several major longitudinal research projects on childhood resilience that have contributed significantly to the field's emergence and presents more detailed information on the Rochester Child Resilience Project (RCRP). A final section summarizes accomplishments in resilience research to date, and identifies needed foci for future work in this area.