Resilient Children

1. Resilient Children What We Need To Do To Move Children From Risk to Resiliency

2. Compassionate regard for others* Sense of humor* Persistence even in the face of failure Moral pride* Respectfulness of manner Getting attention in positive ways Religious sensibility Planning ahead Problem solving* Feeling autonomous Maintaining a positive outlook on life** Internal locus of control Developing a talent or hobby* Androgynous Characteristics of Resilient Children

3. Protective Factors Within the Child • Temperament • High activity level, low degree of excitability • High degree of sociability (affectionate, social, easygoing, even tempered), alert, responsive • Tendency to seek out novel experiences • Ability to concentrate on schoolwork

4. Protective Factors (cont.) • Problem solving and reading skills are good • Use of talents they have effectively • Usually they have some special interest they share with another person • Androgyny

5. Protective Factors Within the Family • Four or fewer children in the family • Available nurturance from some adult • Space two or more years between child and next sibling • Opportunity to establish close bond with at least one caretaker • Receiving positive attention from at least one caretaker

6. Family Factors (cont.) • Having responsibility for caretaking of siblings (girls only) • Being firstborn in a small family (boys only) • Structure, routine and chores (boys only)

7. Protective Factors Outside the Family • Emotional support available • Well liked by classmates • Have at least one close friend and often more • Reliance on support network for counsel support

8. Using Literature to Promote Resiliency • Guided readings in good literature can help people gain understanding of themselves and solve problems relevant to their needs. • Through identification with characters the reader has a vicarious experience that facilitates insight and a release of their own emotion.

9. Using Literature (cont.) • Use good literature and never use “how-to” or problem-solving books. • Identification with a character is essential • Identification is much more likely to occur in quality literature where characters are well developed.

10. Literature (cont.) • Select stories that have a sense of hope and optimism. • Look for stories in which there are characters that demonstrate qualities of resilience. • Look for stories featuring main characters who are survivors. • Videos can also be used sometimes for the same purpose.

11. Initial Procedures • Always be very familiar with the story yourself. • Provide several choices of stories. Don’t select the story for children. • Provide time for the child to read the story. • WAIT—allow incubation time. • Provide discussion opportunities.

12. Discussion Guidelines • Keep the focus on the characters and on the problems in the story. • Move questions from emotionally distant observation in increasing application to oneself. • Gradual focusing is important with children above age eight.

13. Discussion Questions: • What happens in the story? (Retell or summarize the tale) • Describe what the characters think about what happens. • What challenges or problems do the characters face? • How does the main character cope with these challenges? • What does she/he do to get through the challenge?

14. Questions (cont.) 5) Describe the feelings of the main character. 6) What do you think about the decisions or choices he/she makes? 7) Is there any way that you are like ________ ? (main character)

15. Titles of Resources • Angelou, M. Life Doesn’t Frighten Me At All • Barbalet, M. (1992). The Wolf. • Cecil, N.L. and Roberts, P.L. (1992) Developing Resiliency Through Children’s Literature • Fleischman, P. (1999) Westlandia • Jackson, E. (1994) CinderEdna

16. Resources (cont.) • Kilborne, S.S. (1994) Peach and Blue • Lopez, B. (1990) Crow and Weasel • McDonald, M. (1995). Insects are My Life. • Suskind, R. (1998) A Hope In The Unseen

17. What Teachers Might Want to Know About Trauma • 9% of young adults have been traumatized • Trauma is a negative event that lies outside the usual realm of human experience. • It is something that overwhelms one’s ability to cope. • Disasters, sexual abuse, violence, life threatening illnesses, and very bad accidents are examples of trauma.

18. Trauma • Can negatively impact a child’s development because it undermines the two foundation blocks on which healthy development rests—safety and trust. • A child who has been traumatized often comes to believe, “the world is not a safe place” and may also believe, “people are not to be trusted.” • These two beliefs, if carried forward, can continually interfere with developmental tasks.

19. Response to Trauma • Dependent upon several factors: • The child’s own biology • The response of significant others to the child’s trauma; • The kind and duration of the trauma. • Severity increases in kinds of trauma • Physical injury • Psychological injury • Combined physical and psychological injury • Sexual abuse

20. Response to Trauma • “Normal” response to trauma is predictable and is a defense, or coping mechanism that helps the individual to survive. • Generally people respond to trauma or re-experience the traumatic event in one of the following ways: • They have recurrent disturbing thoughts or images • They have recurrent bad dreams • They sometimes feel like it is happening again • They feel very upset at exposure to some cue that reminds them of the event.

21. Anxiety from Trauma • Typical exhibits of symptoms of anxiety • Sleep disturbances • Hyperactivity • Startle response • Irritability or angry outbursts • Difficulties with concentration • Hyper-vigilance

22. Numbness After Trauma • Inability to remember some parts of the traumatic event • Feeling detached from others, alone • Difficulty expressing all emotions—restricted • Less interest in activities • Difficulty thinking about their future

23. Trauma’s Effect on Learning • Trauma Changes the Brain • The traumatized brain is the sensitized brain • It is hyper-aroused. • Chemically, we think, trauma causes nerve cells to leak sodium, making the cell more likely to de-polarize. • Cell is more excitable • Immature or weak nervous system has limited ability to control arousal. • Arousal is the core of traumatic response • Child’s brain is more traumatized than adult’s because they are more vulnerable.

24. Impact on Learning (cont.) • Some children do not seem to be influenced by trauma but • Anxiety may make them more inefficient in studying • Children who are hyperactive, irritable, and have difficulty concentrating are going to have difficulty learning

25. Why Do Some Children Handle Trauma Better? • Everyone has a potential breaking point • Unique biology of an individual contributes to their vulnerability or resilience. • Vulnerability to trauma varies along a continuum. • Prior trauma, if resolved, seems to immunize children against later trauma. • Unresolved prior trauma seems to sensitize the child even more to subsequent trauma.

26. Why is Early Intervention Important? • The part of the brain that encodes trauma does not mature until age 55. • Early intervention can prevent arousal from becoming permanent. • Early assistance can increase the chance the stresses will serve as inoculation to later stresses • It will decrease the negative influences of trauma on learning.