Resiliency: What is it?

What can we learn about it to help families and children?

"Resilience is the family's ability to cultivate strengths to positively meet the challenges of life."
National Network for Family Resiliency, 1993
Resiliency is the ability to bounce back from stress and crisis. It is displayed in individuals as optimism, resourcefulness and determination. Individuals, families, and communities demonstrate resiliency when they building caring support systems and solve problems creatively. While individuals, families and communities each have unique coping capacities, together they form a dynamic support system.
Resilient behavior is especially critical for the most vulnerable children and families. Today's societal challenges require education and service programs that help counteract the impact of poverty, illness, substance abuse, and violence. Prevention and early intervention efforts help build coping skills that can reduce the need for expensive, crisis-level services.
Notes on Resiliency

Four fact sheets for parents and others on how to support and protect kids for greater resiliency

Helping kids bounce back: What do we know about kids and stress
Helping kids bounce back: What do we know about the effect of the family on kids
Helping kids bounce back: What do we know about school effects on kids
Helping kids bounce back: What do we know about how the community affects kids
Supporting materials and curriculum on resiliency - search on resiliency
Research on resiliency
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