Success stories - childhood
resilience
IT’S A QUESTION that has puzzled child development experts for years: Why do some children in stressful situations manage to cope—and even thrive—while others lag emotionally and academically?
Homelessness,
domestic violence, and exposure
to trauma are all too frequent for
some children. These situations,
whether temporary or chronic, can
compromise a child’s development
and lead to struggles in school
or in life.
But that’s not always the case. Several researchers at the College of Education and Human Development have been studying why some youth can withstand and overcome stress or trauma. They want to know which factors and supports contribute to childhood resilience. The answers, they hope, will help other children develop the same hardiness.
Child-development experts agree that the support of parents or other caring adults is the key factor that helps children thrive even during tough times. “It’s extremely reassuring if these people are present and kids can depend on them, if they are setting a good role model of being calm and carrying on,” says Ann Masten, Distinguished McKnight University professor in the Institute of Child Development. “It’s crucial for children to be around people they feel closely connected to. It gives them a sense of security.”
Masten has also determined that executive function skills—self-regulation abilities such as following rules, ignoring distractions, and controlling impulses—can help homeless and other high-risk children succeed.
She has teamed with Minneapolis Public Schools and two emergency shelters in the Twin Cities to study homeless and highly mobile children. Last year the district served nearly 5,500 such children, a number that has climbed steadily upward since 2003 and is expected to rise more steeply in the coming year.
Overcoming homelessness
In
one study Masten and fellow researchers
found striking achievement gaps
between a group of homeless and
highly mobile children when compared
to a group of advantaged youth and
a group from low income backgrounds.
That wasn’t unexpected. But what
surprised Masten and Elizabeth Hinz,
Minneapolis Public Schools liaison
for homeless and highly mobile children,
was how well some of these vulnerable
children performed.
The results provide a teaching moment for school officials. “It’s really critical that people working with these kids see the incredible variability of how they do in school,” says Hinz. “It’s so easy to stereotype them. But it’s important to take a step closer to look at the detail of the individual kids.”
In a study to be published in the Journal of Development and Psychopathology, Masten and her team reported that children with advanced executive function skills performed better academically and behaviorally. “These kinds of self-control skills appear to be very important, particularly for children in a crisis situation, because their world is already difficult,” Masten explains. “These skills really make a difference for these kids.”
The good news is that executive function skills can be taught, offering children with varied life experiences a strong foundation for success in school. Kindergarten and first grade serve as important windows for intervention, proving once again that resources spent early in a child’s life provide a high return on investment, Masten says.
School as security
The school setting can provide an important sense of stability for homeless and highly mobile students. To be successful, it’s critical that children feel they have a safe haven where they can be with trusted grown-ups—whether that’s school, home, or a friend or relative’s house, explains Jane Gilgun, a professor in the School of Social Work. When children feel safe and secure, they will function quite well despite the stress they are experiencing.
The daily school routine can be comforting, and children can garner support and nurturing from teachers, friends, and other educators, including counselors and coaches. The continuity of these relationships and routines can bring order to the chaos of a child’s life and sustain her spirit.
Being supportive doesn’t mean lowering standards because of a student’s life circumstances, however. “We emphasize that kids need emotional support and understanding, but the one thing they really, really need from teachers is to keep expectations for them high,” explains Hinz. “It’s the teacher’s role to help students figure out a way to put [their troubles] aside.”
Parents can supercharge their children’s resilience—psychologically and academically—by getting involved in their education, according to Masten’s findings. They can do so, for example, by stressing the importance of school, staying in touch with teachers, and helping children with their homework.
They can take these steps even if they were poor students or they don’t speak English, Masten says. “Parents can make a huge difference in the success of their children at school even in the middle of a crisis,” she adds. “The value they convey to their children that school is important and the quality of the relationships they have with their children really matters.”
Outlasting abuse
For children who have witnessed violence at home or who have experienced it personally, supportive adults are similarly essential.
“Parents
are the single most powerful protection
for children,” says Abi
Gewirtz, assistant professor
of family social science, citing
a study she conducted with social
work professor Jeff Edleson
on resilience in children who had
been exposed to domestic violence.
“Parents who can remain effective
even under conditions of extreme
stress have children who are protected
significantly more.”
At the Ambit Network (formerly the Minnesota Child Response Center) Gewirtz trains school social workers, mental health professionals, and community organizations on how to help parents assist their children. She suggests five powerful parenting tools: teaching kids to solve problems, being positively involved in their lives, spending enjoyable time with them, using effective discipline, and monitoring what your children are doing and with whom.
In addition, parents should encourage and discipline their children with positive reinforcement. “Catch them being good,” Gewirtz says, advising parents to make five positive comments for every negative statement.
Shelter in the storm
How domestic violence affects children depends on the frequency of their exposure and the severity of the event(s). But in all cases, parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, teachers, or neighbors can lessen the impact, says Edleson, director of the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse.
Other protective layers come from the absence of certain elements in a home, such as alcohol abuse or firearms.
With older children, it’s important to find out directly how domestic violence is shaping them. That’s why Edleson and some of his students created the Child Exposure to Domestic Violence Scale, a downloadable tool for 10- to 16-year olds. The youths can self-report what they experienced and its aftershocks, giving the professionals who work with them more insight on how to best help them cope.
Creating a safe atmosphere with people whom they trust can prompt children to open up and talk about the trauma they experienced. And talking is critical to their healing, notes Gilgun, who researches assessments and counseling for children who have experienced trauma, adversity, or high levels of stress in their lives.
“Research
has shown again and again, when
children feel safe and that they
can trust other people, with little
encouragement they will talk about
what’s on their mind—and that’s
really essential,” Gilgun says.
“They need an opportunity to express
what’s going on in their lives.
They’ll do it one way or another,
but this way they can do it constructively.”
When working with homeless and highly mobile children or with youth who have experienced violence, one of the best things a teacher, parent, or professional can do is offer simple kindness. This can go a long way toward strengthening their resilience.
Acknowledge their situation, says Gilgun, and tell them, “‘I’m here for you. I know it’s a tough time for you. You have these wonderful qualities, and I hope that if something is really bothering you, you feel like you can come and tell me. I might not be able to solve the problem but I will be there for you.’ That can mean an awful lot to a child.”