What Is Resilience?
 If
Beaver of Leave it to Beaver were alive today
it is likely he would not be doing so well. The increased
stress, pressure and demands placed upon youth might
well result in Beaver experiencing multiple school and
interpersonal problems. Yet the goals, dreams and wishes
of Beaver’s parents and of previous generations
are no different than of parents today. What is it most
parents want for their children? Happiness, success
in school, satisfaction with their lives and solid friendships
quickly come to mind.
If we
examine our parental goals it would not be an over-simplification
to conclude that to realize these goals requires our
children to possess the inner strength to deal competently
and successfully day after day with the challenges and
demands they encounter. This capacity to cope and feel
competent is referred to as resilience. Resilience embraces
the ability of a child to deal more effectively with
stress and pressure, to cope with everyday challenges,
to bounce back from disappointments, adversity and trauma
to develop clear and realistic goals to solve problems,
to relate comfortably to others and to treat oneself
and others with respect. Numerous scientific studies
of children facing adversity in their lives have supported
the importance of resilience as a powerful insulating
force. Resilience explains why some children overcome
overwhelming obstacles, sometimes clawing and scraping
their way to successful adulthood while others become
victims of their early experiences and environments.
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