Youth Resiliency:Challenging America’s Achievement Culture

California Adolescent Health Conference

Oakland, CA October 29, 2010

Sara Truebridge, Ed.D. & Vicki Abeles

Resilience

Resilience is the self-righting and transcending capacity within all youth, adults, organizations, and communities to spring back, rebound, and successfully adapt in the face of adversity.

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Big Question

Why do some individuals who are exposed to high risk environments/events make it while others do not?

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EnvironmentalInputs

DEVELOPMENTALSUPPORTS &

OPPORTUNITIES(Protective Factors)

In

FamiliesSchools

CommunitiesPeers

Societal Impacts

THUSPRODUCING

POSITIVE PREVENTION

&SUCCESSFUL

EDUCATION andLIFE

OUTCOMES

Individual Outputs

PROMOTINGPOSITIVE

DEVELOPMENTALOUTCOMES

Social

Emotional

Cognitive

Moral-Spiritual

Individual Inputs

THAT MEETDEVELOPMENTAL

NEEDS

Love & Belonging

Safety

Respect

Power

Challenge

Mastery

Meaning

Youth / Human Development Process:

Resilience in Action

Caring Relationships

High Expectations

Meaningful Participation

Benard, 1991 4

Protective Factors Critical to Healthy Development & Life

SuccessCARINGCARING

RELATIONSHIPSRELATIONSHIPS

“Being there”Models caring

Showing interest inGetting to know

CompassionListening/Dialogue

PatienceBasic trust

Safety

HIGH EXPECTATIONSHIGH EXPECTATIONS

Belief in people’s resilienceRespect & confirmation

Challenge & supportFirm guidance

Structure/ritualsStrengths-focused

Reframing

MEANINGFUL MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATIONPARTICIPATION

Safe placesInclusion

ResponsibilityVoice & choice

Participant-drivenExperiential skill

developmentContribution

Caring for othersPeer support

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Application to Race to Nowhere

• High-Risk Environment / Adversity / Stress• Strengths-Based• Inclusive• How vs. What• Reform vs. Transformation• Beliefs

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What Practitioners with a Resilience Perspective Do

Moving to a resiliency approach requires a personal transformation of vision…the lens through which we see our world. To make systemic changes…depends on changing hearts and minds.

Bonnie Benard, 1993

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