1. Building Resiliency in Children
Carol Coussons de Reyes
OCA Administrator
DHHS Nebraska:
Division of Behavioral Health

2. First let’s talk about stress
Stress is a life event or situation that causes imbalance in a child’s life. Stress is experienced in many forms and varies by the individual child, the child's developmental level and the child's previous life experience.

3. Stressors can be: Trauma
Loss of a loved one through death, divorce, or moving
Chronic abuse, neglect or poverty
Exposure to violence or war
Natural disasters such as fire, flood, or earthquake
Change in family composition
Change in schools
Parents disabled by physical or mental illness
Peer interaction

4. What Stressful Behavior May Look Like

5. In Preschoolers:
Regressive behavior such as bedwetting or thumb sucking
Fear of separation, especially from parents, or a fear of being left alone and abandoned
Fear of darkness, strangers or “monsters”
Aggressive behavior or withdrawal
Changes in eating habits or indigestion
Sleep disturbances, such as night terrors
Bowel or bladder problems
Complaints of unexplainable pains

6. In School-agers: Excessive clinging
Aggressive behavior, withdrawal or hyperactivity
Crying or excessive sadness over the loss of a pet or a favorite object
An inability to concentrate
Sleep disturbance
Fear of noises
Irritability
Talking constantly about the experience
Headaches, nausea or complaints of vague aches and pains

7. What is resilience about?
Adaptation to:
Trauma
Death
Divorce
Natural Disasters
Threats
Poverty
Maltreatment
War
Parents disabled by physical or mental illness
APA, 2011; Masten, 1997

8. How Children Cope
Resiliency is a “self-righting tendency." Children often have a natural ability to self- right or bounce back. The resilient child recognizes a stressful event, often responds emotionally, recoils temporarily, then bounces back and returns to a prior emotional state figuring-out in his own way what he can do to manage the difficult situation.

9. There needs to be a balance for children between stressful events and having enough protective buffers in place to help them cope. When stressors outweigh the protective factor, even the most resilient child can develop problems.

10. Trauma Must End Safety must be restored for resilience to begin
In chronic child abuse
In catastrophic events
Masten, 1997

11. Teaching Children To Bounce Back
When a child faces challenges, it's important to develop attributes of resilience. A caregiver can do this by………..

12. Building emotional strength
When a child responds with fear, anger, disappointment or sadness, identify the emotion they are feeling and convey understanding or empathy. Observe the child until he returns to emotional stability.

13. Encouraging communication
Validate the difficulty of the child’s situation and convey confidence that he can figure out a way to manage the situation effectively. Don’t approach the child as the “victim.”

14. Encouraging children to ask for support
When troubles arise, encourage the older child to ask for help from a parent, family member, teacher, coach, clergy, friend, community support person or expert. When the child is able, suggest the child help others.

15. Building problem-solving skills
Once emotions subside and the child is ready
to communicate, identify the situation and ask
the child what he can do to solve the problem.
Validate the child’s ideas and offer a few
suggestions, but don’t dominate. Allow him to
use his own resources to manage the situation,
if appropriate

16. Offering an optimistic view of life
You being able to model is the most effective strategy. When problems arise, recognize them, but point out any silver lining in the troubled cloud. Help the child see that in time things will get better and life will again offer many moments of happiness!

17. Strategies to Reduce Stress at Home or in Child Care
Dramatic play activities
Reduce stress through a low-stress environment by providing social support, modeling problem-solving skills and by teaching children to anticipate stress and learning new ways to avoid it.
Have an exercise station
Give children extra transition warnings and
support when necessary
Use a daily picture activity board so children can anticipate what the day's activities will include.
Offer self-expressive activities through art, sand/water play, block play, play dough or clay and

18. Activities for Parents
Provide unconditional love
Enforce rules & remove privileges when needed
Model behavior in self
Praise accomplishments
Encourage independent exploration
Acknowledge and assist in labeling of feelings
Say “I know you can do it”
Say “I’m here”
Offer explanations with rules
Encourage empathy and caring
Encourage language for problem solving
Encourage communication and sharing feelings
Christle, Harley, Nelson, & Jones, 2011

19. Tips for Building Resilience in Children and Teens
Teach friendship building skills (empathy, when others feel pain)
Teach your child age appropriate volunteering
Maintain a daily routine
Teach distraction skills
Teach self-care by example
Teach your child goal setting
Nurture a positive self-view
Maintain a hopeful outlook
Accept change as part of living
APA, 2011

20. What is Resilience in the Face of Stressful Events?
How children “make it”
Manifestations of competence
Ability to thrive, mature, & increase competence
Does not mean unscarred
Masten, 1997; Ohio State Bulletin, 2011

21. Cambodian Youth Holocaust Survivors in Minnesota
Went to college
Horrifying memories
Made friends
Jumpiness
Built lives
Times of great sadness
Difficulty focusing
Masten, 1997

22. Risk Factors
Any factor or combination of factors that increase the chances of an undesirable outcome affecting a person
They can be internal (within the individual) or external (involving the family, school, and community).
Some examples of internal risk factors are;
hyperactivity, concentration problems, restlessness, early involvement in antisocial behavior, and beliefs and attitudes favoring deviancy.
External risk factors include conditions in the environment, such as the home, school, and community. Some examples are; a single-parent household, family’s poverty.
School risk factors may involve overcrowding, a high student/teacher ratio, insufficient or inappropriate curriculum, and weak and inconsistent adult leadership.
Factors in the community that may cause risks for children are high levels of neighborhood disorganization, high mobility rates, few adults to monitor children’s behavior, and high levels of drug and gang activity in the neighborhood. Some examples of external risk factors
Masten, 1997

23. Protective Factors
The good news is that most children who grow up in families with many challenges do overcome the odds and manifest “resilience.” Resiliency may be explained by the presence of “protective factors,” those qualities or situations that help alter or reverse expected negative outcomes. Resiliency can be cultivated by providing and promoting these protective factors in a child’s life.
Examples of protective factors;
Average or better IQ
Good attention skills
Street smarts
Self worth
Self efficacy
Feelings of hope
Meaningfulness of life
Attractiveness to others
Talents valued
Faith and religious affiliations
Mentors outside the family
Socioeconomic advantage
Good schools
Masten, 1997

24. Internal Protective Factors
Protective factors can be internal (within the individual)
Ability to take control
Be proactive
Decisiveness
Responsibility for decisions
Accept abilities & limits
Goal directed
Realistic about goals
Know when to quit
Positive outlook
Know how much to push self

25. External Protective Factors
external (involving the family, school, and community)
Caring Relationships
Positive & High Expectations
Opportunities for meaningful participation
Attachment to one proactive family member
Sense of belonging
Sense of purpose
Told can & will be successful
Positive safe schools
High & achievable academic standards

26. Parents and Teachers: Protective Factors
Parents can
Give attention
Visit teacher and administrators
Teachers can
Be a positive role model
Encourage academic clubs
Be trustworthy
Advocate for child
Offer sincere interest
Partner with teachers
Give individual attention
Take care of physical/mental health
Use of rituals
Christle, Harley, Nelson, & Jones, 2011

27. Given the many challenges that parents and families face today
Raising children to be physically and emotionally healthy can be a daunting task. Single parents, in particular, may need to reach out to schools and community agencies for assistance. You need to take care of your own physical and mental health in order to give your child the attention that he or she needs. Regardless of the particular challenges and risks that your family may be facing, to promote resiliency in your children keep in mind the three key themes:
caring relationships
positive and high expectations
opportunities for meaningful participation

28. Questions?