Strengthening the capacity for resilience in children

Promoting resilience in children has become an important concern within contemporary research and practice. This chapter will focus on developing a theory of strengthening resilience within the generalised context of child development. Resilience is a concept which recognises that children have agency in negotiating challenges and adversity; however, children are embedded in, and are dependent upon, their place within their surrounding social ecology. There are multiple theories, understandings and approaches to strengthening resilience, either concerned with early intervention and individual abilities or providing an environment which facilitates a child's potential. Strengthening resilience as a process is concerned with prevention to ensure that children are better enabled to positively develop despite life's adversities and challenges. This chapter will examine processes that promote pathways to positive child development and wellbeing despite adversity. These processes occur across multiple systems in a child's life such as, family, community or neighbourhood, school and wider society. It is within these systems which the chapter will concentrate on integrating resilience theory and knowledge to create a supportive environment that promotes positive development, wellbeing and resilience in children.