9 ARTICLE NINE Luster, T Bates, L & Johnson

November-13-10
10:12 AM

Risk & Resistance p.103

Risk Factor- A characteristic of persons context that increases likelihood of negative developmental
outcome

• Characteristics of individual, that predict later difficulties include:

○ Low birth rate
○ Attention Depict Disorder of ADHD
○ Specific learning disability
• Contextual risk factors found in environment when adolescent spend time:
○ Family (poverty, neglect, abuse)
○ Peer group (association with peers who engage in risk behaviour)
○ Neighbourhoods (violence, no resources for youth)
○ School ( lack of safety, negative school climate)
○ Large cultural/historical context ( availability of guns, threat of terrorist attack)

Risk factors could be categorized as:

1. Chronic stressors
2. Acute ( traumatic) stressors

• Chronic stressors
○ occur over long periods
○ Include circumstances ( parent neglect, long term poverty)
• Acute
○ Extreme experiences that occur once, or over short period ( earthquake, kidnapped, held hostage) Traumatic experiences are to do
with over stimulation of the brain
Risk Factor
• Variables associated with undesirable outcome
Risk Mechanism
• The direct experience

Ex. Being born to a teenage mother

○ Risk factor for academic/behavioural problems age is not the cause of poor outcome its other factors:
 Poor parenting, maternal depression, substance abuse, poverty

Resilience
• patterns of positive adaptation in context of significant risk or adversity
• A substantial number of people fare well in spite of adverse circumstances
• Determination of resilience, 2 judgements:
1. Person is doing ok
2. Person has experienced significant risk that could underline successful negotiation of age-salient developmental
tasks
Cumulative Risk
• Probability of poor developmental outcomes increases with exposure to greater numbers of risk factors 'pile up" of
problems/ experiences

Protective Factors
- Aspect of a person or environment that buffer effect risk, allows person to be more successful than would have without protective
factors

THREE MAJOR CATEGORIES OF PROECTIVE FACTORS

1. Personality disposition and other characteristics of individual
2. Supportive family or relationships
3. Extra familial support system/ community resources/ opportunities

Characteristics link with resilience adaptation

• Intellectual functioning
• Internal focus of control orientation
Optimistic outlook on future

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 • Optimistic outlook on future
• Plan full competence- ability to plan ahead, make good choices, follow
through on plans

-Resilient adolescent tend to have relationships with pro-social peers

Opportunities for resilient adolescents

• Discover/ develop their talents
• Engage in pro-social activity
• Develop sense of self efficiency & hopeful outlook on future

Vulnerability
-One's susceptibility to develop problems or a disorder. Can be based on genetic
or prior experiences

p.109
Common Characteristics of Resilient Individuals

• Dis-identify: with their tormentors, problems experienced caused by another person

• Psychological distance: between self & abuser. Maintain physical distance once old enough. School, library, sports

• Adoptability; elicit support from mentors, surrogated parents outside their families

• Determination: always managed to pick themselves up & move forward believe could have life better through their
own efforts

• Intelligent, Street Smart: Helped them deal with problems they faced & process what was happening to them

p.110
-Many individuals found support in homes of friends who had more harmonious families- incorporating best aspects of family life witnessed into
model that guided their behaviours in adulthood
-Plus experiences with peers helped them believe in their normality

p.111
TASK OF ADOLESCENCE defined by us: to establish adult id
- From close relationships with peers and establish self resilience must develop skills for this to go smoothly
- Emotional self regulation, delay gratification, establish goals & follow through, good decisions making,
good work habits

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