resilience is ways in which children cope with and respond to adversities in their lives ~ some children will even learn to thrive under stress ~ it is seen as an important concept I contemporary research as it is seen as promoting a positive and more holistic understanding of children's lives which takes into account their strength as well as their vulnerabilities

Beardsall & Dunn studied siblings & found they behaved and reacted differently to traumatic events such as death in the family, or separation of parents or even death of pet~ some were very upset while others only mildly
reasons for this were partly because of age, gender, birth order or personality of children ~ but also need to consider the extent of their relationship with the family member, & emotional support they received and that they may react differently later & long tern effects not known
Elder et al studied children from areas of USA, the effect of Great Depression, & World War 2 ~ the effects on the children created new challenges on those who were hit by financial hardships and those less affected ~ they saw a noticeable shift in family dynamics and changes in the relationship with their parents, where as before the father was most dominate figure the mother now took on the role as bread winner and greater power within the household because fathers often withdrew from the family due to lack of work or by being away from the home ~ this led to marital stress and shifts in relationships and inconsistency with discipline of children
children reacted differently because of gender and ages, boys took on work outside home gained independence spending time with peers, girls stayed home and worked, caring or doing more chores while mother worked outside the home to supplement loss of income
particular aspects of the study show how children were affected by their circumstances according to their age & gender, young boys appeared more vulnerable developing behaviour problems , had low self esteem and academic success was often poorer than the girls
Elder et al linked this to lack of positive male role model and how fathers disciplined the sons
however this research was taken during hardships and social change so may not be as relevant today in contemporary society, many parents now have equal responsibility and make joint decisions on how the children are raised & disciplined and majority of families tend to have two working parents
yet, further studies also support gender and age differences, Werner & Smith study of children in Hawaii reported although exposed to same conditions young boys were found to have learning and behaviour problems in their early years, it was thought ill-health and mainly feminine household contributed to this ~ but later girls experienced mental health problems during adolescence due to social pressure and gender expectations ~ both genders appeared more vulnerable at different times of their lives
however these children were found to have inner attributes which helped them be more resilient ~ such as love and affection, trust and strong attachments to carers
internal qualities that help children become resilient are those who have experienced approval, acceptance and opportunities to learn skills
Studies in the UK also noted impact of traumatic events on children ~ such as relationship changes ~ while some were very affected others only slightly ~ it was found it depended on the closeness of the relationship
studies suggest children are dependent on the quality of their relationships, the opportunities & experiences they receive from supportive family members to ensure reliance, this indicate secure relationships are paramount in supporting children to promote resilience

	Created by Sally Cavaglieri about 11 years ago

	Copied to Note by Sally Cavaglieri about 11 years ago

E212 Note on Resilience & well-being - created from Mind Map, created by Sally Cavaglieri on 02/10/2013.