Research on Protective factors that increase resilience in youths

Research on Protective factors that increase resilience in youths

Introduction

Reportedly, there lies a certain degree of stress and tension in every individual and more prevalently among the teens in some populations. The degree of their ability to cope with these stressful situations varies from young adults to the elderly. In the case of risks due to intensive stressors, external support, both formal and informal, is needful for the prevention of negative consequences in development. Individuals of all ages need to understand the concept of resilience, especially when dealing with children and youths who are at risk. Teenagers from not well to do backgrounds are allegedly more vulnerable to dealing with stressful situations. Resilience refers to a special kind of competence that assists people with difficulties and not bearing a stable personality. It is essential in making positive development in harmful situations. It helps maintain inner balance and avert future challenges. The common understanding from recent research is that an individual develops the capacity to adapt, recover, and maintain stability when exposed to adversity from a personal crisis. While resilience can have the observation of a position to cope effectively with internal and external stressors that vary with time, there are protective factors that bring out the balance. To establish these protective factors, I prepared this research proposal. Several articles done in the recent past were selected based on the following criteria. The leading focus group was youths aged between 15-35 years. The chosen group was from poor neighborhoods where violence and crime were significant challenges. The articles were written in the written past and published not earlier than in 1990.

Summary

Based on the articles, there are several findings concerning the concept of resilience. Different scholars identify resistance as a process by which positive effects can be achieved amidst adversity. The main difference between individuals who have a good adaptation despite facing risks and those who do not cope is the protective factors. From the study performed among young adults, marital quality is the only protective factor that links directly to positive social adjustment. Families, where there are high levels of marital quality, had children with positive behavior and resilience. The majority of the factors were associated with favorable outcome irrespective of neighborhood risk. According to Smith (2012), the typical internal factors include optimism, perceptions of control, self-efficacy, and actively coping with better health. Research from Grotberg (2011) indicated that about half of the resilient young adults could overcome their initial traumatic experiences, such as growing up in families with a mentally ill member or criminally involved parents.

After the study was performed on the way multiple child and family protective factors are related to neighborhood risk and positive social adjustment, there were several findings. Among other factors, child I.Q. and parenting variables are among the most prevalent factors that are connected to prosocial outcomes. Children with high I.Q. are seen to contend with stressors better in their daily lives. A supportive parenting system with a close child-parent relationship would help the child to navigate a stressful environment by offering valuable interpersonal and social resources. Besides that, the researchers determined that in the homesteads parenting and antisocial behavior were the main issues under external environmental factors affecting resilience. Shaw and colleagues (2004) found out that high family hierarchical structure was protection against antisocial behavior in adolescents among the European Americans, unlike the African Americans in high-risk neighborhoods.

Additionally, the research by Griffin on sexual offense in adolescents depicted the distinction between the offended teenagers and the non-offended. Many young individuals achieve positive outcomes without significant disruptions in the course of development. Though the considerable variation and inconsistency in the findings on the number of adolescents facing high levels of adversity, the report indicated that offended children compared to non-offended have a lower resiliency scores and lower levels of adaptive functioning. Among the significant protective factors, four major ones were prevalent in all the articles.

Bonding

It involves the emotional attachment and commitment to guardians, caregivers, and parents establishing a close relationship with mature and supportive adults. It includes rule-abiding friends and people in prosocial organizations.

Competence

Inclusive of all forms of competencies including cognitive competence dealing with excellent cognitive abilities, emotional expertise with good self-regulation of emotions and impulses, moral competence with positive self-perceptions and behavioral competence with talents valued by self and society

Optimism

Often observed by self-efficacy, spirituality, and the sense of meaning in life as well as a positive identity. Dependent on internal and external factors, confidence is among the significant issues affecting resilience in youths.

Environment

An organized home environment coupled with warm parenting, socioeconomic advantages, effective schools, neighborhoods with collective efficacy, public safety, and useful general health and availability is likely to affect resilience.

Part 2: Practical Application of Research

There are several ways of propagating resilience among young individuals. Based on the study performed on the articles, specific recommendations are essential in promoting the development of prosocial behavior among teenagers. Firstly, schools should adopt curricular programs that enhance core competencies, bonding among students, and optimism. These are protective measures that would ensure that even the students from poor neighborhoods and violent families are supported. Programs such as the P.A.T.H.S. are essential in promoting bonding and core individual competencies. They are necessary for incorporating positive social norms, cultural values, and ideologies to improve youths’ prosocial attitudes. Secondly, attachment to adults other than children’s parents has proven to bring positive change to children’s resilience. Bonding with school teachers, for instance, is a way of promoting relations and increasing positive developmental outcomes. Attachment and commitment are two interdependent components of school bonding that help prosocial culture. Besides that, school social workers can cooperate with students’ parents in encouraging parental involvement and support in fostering development. Adverse effects that affect the behaviors of family members can affect young individuals’ cognitive acceptance and thereby alter their resilience. The ability to survive and recover from disruptive family challenges depends on the family relationship network.

Annotated Bibliography

Griffin, H. L., & Vettor, S. (2012). Predicting sexual re-offending in a U.K. sample of adolescents with intellectual disabilities. Journal of sexual aggression, 18(1), 64-80. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291340048_YOUTH_OFFENDING_RESILIENCE_AND_PROTECTIVE_FACTORS_Chapter_4_COMPARING_RESILIENCE_OF_YOUNG_PEOPLE_WHO_HAVE_SEXUALLY_OFFENDED_WITH_THOSE_WHO_HAVE_NON-SEXUALLY_OFFENDED_AND_WITH_NON-OFFENDING_CONTROLS

This article by the two accomplished authors presents useful reflective study literature on resilience among youths and protective measures. The study after sampling different males and females compares two groups. The comparison between the sexually offended and non-sexually offended reveals several differences. The analyses of the logistics present the two different resiliency profiles and the overall differences in personal resiliency. I found the article useful in giving content that is relevant and adaptable for the assignment. The two patterns of resiliency are the most prevalent among the youths living in neighborhoods experiencing violence, including sexual assault.

Vanderbilt-Adriance, E. (2006). Protective factors and the development of resilience among boys from low-income families (Doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh). Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c95e/1f8246a447272974f3fe05469e932b403afc.pdf

This article is essential in advancing society in understanding resilience and protective factors that help cope with the challenge. The research was performed on different individuals of young age living in low-income suburbs. Various protective factors were evident, including child I.Q., nurturing parenting, parent-child relationship, and marital issues. The childhood experiences were different for all the individuals, and so were the social behaviors. The research is relevant in providing ground for the various protective factors prevalent among youths from these backgrounds.

Lee, T. Y., Cheung, C. K., & Kwong, W. M. (2012). Resilience as a positive youth development construct a conceptual review. The Scientific World Journal, 2012. Retrieved from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2012/390450/

The article is adopted from the Scientific World Journal as a review on resilience as a disciplinary concept highlighting the broad working definitions of resistance. While getting rid of misunderstandings, the research shows the relationship between youth development and resilience. The study was carried out on a group of students from different schools, ranging from teenage to early adulthood. Internal and external protective factors resulted from exposure to risky situations. Protective factors appeared to help an individual in coping better with stressful situations. The authors provide a detailed reflective explanation of the protective factors s observed in adolescents and youths.