Understanding resilience in diverse,talented students in an urban high school

This article summarizes findings from a 3‐year study of 35 economically disadvantaged, ethnically diverse, academically talented high school students who either achieved or underachieved in their urban high school. In particular, the resilience of these two groups of high ability students is explored. Comparative case study and ethnographic methods were used to examine the ways in which some academically talented students develop and/or employ strategies associated with resilience to achieve at high levels. Both risk factors and protective factors are examined to explore participants’ pathways toward either positive or negative outcomes. The results of this study suggest that some protective factors helped some academically talented students to achieve at high levels. The protective factors include supportive adults; friendships with other achieving students; opportunity to take honors and advanced classes; participation in multiple extracurricular activities both after school and during the summer; the development of a strong belief in self; and ways to cope with the negative aspects of their school and urban environment; and in some cases, their family lives. Other protective factors include students’ relationships with supportive adults and their previous participation in a gifted and talented program.

Students who underachieved had specific risk factors, such as having older siblings who dropped out of school or became involved in drugs and/or alcohol. They also appeared to have developed fewer protective factors. The combination of the presence of risk factors and the absence of protective factors may ha ve impeded the ability of some underachieving students to achieve at higher levels.     

Thriving not just surviving: A review of research on teacher resilience

Retaining teachers in the early stages of the profession is a major issue of concern in many countries. Teacher resilience is a relatively recent area of investigation which provides a way of understanding what enables teachers to persist in the face of challenges and offers a complementary perspective to studies of stress, burnout and attrition. We have known for many years that teaching can be stressful, particularly for new teachers, but little appears to have changed. This paper reviews recent empirical studies related to the resilience of early career teachers. Resilience is shown to be the outcome of a dynamic relationship between individual risk and protective factors. Individual attributes such as altruistic motives and high self-efficacy are key individual protective factors. Contextual challenges or risk factors and contextual supports or protective factors can come from sources such as school administration, colleagues, and pupils. Challenges for the future are to refine conceptualisations of teacher resilience and to develop and examine interventions in multiple contexts. There are many opportunities for those who prepare, employ and work with prospective and new teachers to reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors and so enable new teachers to thrive, not just survive.     

Social Risk and Protective Child,Parenting, and Child Care Factors in Early Elementary School Years

Objective. African American children exposed to multiple social risk factors during early childhood often experience academic difficulties, so identification of protective factors is important. Design. Academic and school behavior trajectories from kindergarten through third grade were studied among 75 African American children who have been followed prospectively since infancy to test hypothesized protective factors: quality of home and child care environments during early childhood, child language and social skills at entry to kindergarten, and school characteristics. Results. Children exposed to multiple risks in early childhood showed lower levels of academic and social-emotional skills from kindergarten through third grade. Parenting mediated the association with risk. Children's language skills, parenting, and child care quality serve as protective factors in acquisition of mathematics skills and reduction in problem behaviors during the first 4 years of primary school for African American children facing multiple risks. Attending a school with a higher proportion of children from low-income families might predict increasing numbers of problem behaviors over time. Conclusions. Exposure to social risk in early childhood negatively predicted academic achievement and adjustment during early elementary school for African American children, in part through associations between exposure to social risk and less responsive and stimulating parenting. Furthermore, the negative associations between risk and academic outcomes were substantially weaker when children had more responsive and sensitive parents or child care providers or entered school with stronger language skills.     

Abusive head trauma in Maine infants: medical,child protective,and law enforcement analysis

OBJECTIVE: To collect and compare the results of medical, child protective, and law enforcement evaluation of a sample of Maine children who were victims of abusive head trauma (AHT) in order to describe the clinical and evaluative characteristics as they relate to victims, families and perpetrators of such trauma and to improve the professional response to AHT in Maine.METHOD: Retrospective chart review of medical, child protective, and law enforcement records of all AHT victims admitted to two tertiary care hospitals in Maine or seen by the state medical examiner from 1991 to 1994.RESULTS: Nineteen children (age range 2 weeks to 17 months) were identified as victims of AHT (out of a total of 94 head trauma admissions) accounting for 20 hospitalizations during the study period. There was a history of prior injury in 30%, history of prior medical evaluations for possibly abuse related problems in 65%, while, on presentation, 75% had evidence or history of prior injury. The hospitals notified child protective services (CPS) in all 20 cases and correctly identified abuse in 18 (90%). Parental risk factors for abuse identified in CPS records included substance abuse (53%), domestic violence (42%), criminal history (32%), unrealistic expectations (42%), and attachment problems (32%). However, risk factors were inadequately assessed in 53% of homes. Law enforcement identified a likely perpetrator in 79% of cases and in the majority the identified suspect was the father. In the 15 cases where a perpetrator was identified by law enforcement, that person was alone with the child at symptom onset in 14 (93%).CONCLUSIONS: The medical response, at least at the inpatient level, was generally well done with regard to suspicion and reporting. Cases are possibly being missed at the outpatient level. Child protective risk assessment was limited overall yet in a third of the homes where AHT occurred, few if any risk factors were present to aid in identification and prevention. Law enforcement results suggest that a primary suspect for AHT is the caretaker alone with the child at the time of symptom onset.     

The study of stress and competence in children: a building block for developmental psychopathology

This article discusses the building blocks for a developmental psychopathology, focusing on studies of risk, competence, and protective factors. The current Project Competence studies of stress and competence are described, with particular attention to the methodology and strategies for data analysis. The authors present a 3-model approach to stress resistance in a multivariate regression framework: the compensatory, challenge, and protective factor models. These models are illustrated by selected data. In the concluding section, an evaluation of the project is offered in terms of future directions for research.     

THE MEDIATING ROLE OF SOCIO‐MOTIVATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THE INTERPLAY OF PERCEIVED STRESS,NEUROTICISM, AND TEST ANXIETY AMONG ADOLESCENT STUDENTS

In this study, we examined whether socio‐motivational relationships, such as student–student relationships (SSR) and teacher–student relationships (TSR), as well as peers as positive motivators (PPM) and teachers as positive motivators (TPM), would mediate the association of both perceived stress and neuroticism with test anxiety in 1,088 German students from grades seven and eight. Results from structural equation modeling revealed that a high quality of SSR mediated the relationship between neuroticism and test anxiety, which was not the case for TSR. Furthermore, both PPM and TPM acted as mediators in all hypothesized associations. Interestingly, although a high quality of SSR mitigated feelings of test anxiety, PPM and TPM intensified test anxiety in neurotic students. The role of social relationships as protective factors as well as risk factors is discussed, as are the implications of the findings for educators, school psychologists, and teachers.     

Stress,Self-Efficacy,Social Support,and Psychological Distress Among Prospective Chinese Teachers in Hong Kong

Teacher stress, self-efficacy, social support, and psychological distress were assessed in a sample of 83 Chinese prospective teachers in Hong Kong. These teachers reported significantly higher levels of symptoms in somatic problems, followed by anxiety and dysphoria. In exploring the role of personal and social resources in the stress-symptom process, neither self-efficacy nor social support mediated the impact of teacher stress on psychological distress. In contrast, social support moderated the influence of stress on distress in addition to the main effects of stress. While there were subtle differences when specific symptoms were considered, the high-stress/low-support group was most vulnerable. Self-efficacy and social support as protective factors for teacher stress management are discussed.     

The experiences of learning,friendship and bullying of boys with autism in mainstream and special settings: a qualitative study

This study aimed to explore experiences of learning, friendships and bullying of boys with autism attending specialist and mainstream schools, and those of their parents. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 11 boys with autism, aged 11 to 17 years, and nine of their mothers. Thematic analysis identified four key themes relating to experiences of friendships and bullying, risk factors, protective factors and outcomes. Overall, the findings indicated that five of the 11 participants had been subjected to bullying, particularly those in mainstream schools (four out of six). Further, if risk factors relating to autism or the school culture were not mediated by protective factors such as self‐esteem or supportive friends, various negative outcomes were identified as more likely, including mental health issues and effects on learning and relationships. Therefore, although not inevitable, mainstream settings may increase the likelihood of negative experiences, as they have fewer resources to protect children against the risk of bullying.     

We Talk About It,But Do They Get It?

This article reports on the last of a series of iterative research studies involving students with learning disabilities in reform mathematics classrooms at the intermediate grade levels. This study reports the findings from a larger, year‐long case study that focused on ways to include students with learning disabilities and other students who are at risk for special education services in classwide discussions of problem solving. The data reported in this article detail the changes in teacher and student discourse over a nine‐week period in one classroom. Sources of data for this study included videotapes, audiotapes, and informal interviews with the teacher, a paraprofessional, and students. A quantitative analysis of the results indicates clear patterns of change in teacher and student discourse. Nonetheless, intentional efforts to include target students in the whole‐class discussions yielded instructional dilemmas that are underdescribed in the mathematics reform literature. Findings from this study have implications for special educators interested in mathematical problem solving, as well as math reformers who value the role of classroom discourse in daily instruction.     

河南省体育高考生服用兴奋剂行为的影响因素分析

运用问卷调查法,对河南省200名体育高考生服用兴奋剂行为的影响因素进行调查研究．结果表明：服用兴奋剂的行为与个体保护因素、家庭保护因素、同伴保护因素呈显著正相关,与个体危险因素、家庭危险因素呈显著负相关．提出加强学生正确的健康观教育,制订合理的成就目标,加大家庭教育力度,营造家庭成员之间融洽、亲密的关系等建议．     

Risk behaviors and resiliency within physically abused adolescents

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the relationship between physical abuse and several risk behaviors, and thriving behaviors, and the relationship between potential protective factors and engagement in risk and thriving behaviors among victims of physical abuse. Three categories of potential protective factors were examined: (1) individual characteristics, (2) family processes, and (3) extra-familial factors. We expected that high levels of protective factors would reduce engagement in risk behaviors (i.e., alcohol use, tobacco use, drug use, sexual activity, antisocial behavior, attempted suicide, and purging) among abused adolescents. RESULTS: Across all the risk behaviors, abused adolescents reported a higher frequency of engagement than non-abused adolescents. Several protective factors were identified for the seven risk behaviors. Peer group characteristics was a significant predictor in all seven of the logistic regressions, followed by positive school climate (six models), religiosity (five models), other adult support (five models), family support (four models), view of the future (two models), and involvement in extra-curricular activities (two models). The variance accounted for by the models ranged from 2% (risk behavior of purging) to 26% (risk behavior of alcohol use and antisocial behavior). CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that, with the exception of sexual activity, the majority of abused adolescents were not engaging in risk behaviors; however, significantly more abused adolescents were engaging in risk behaviors than their non-abused counterparts. In addition, that protective factors were found to exist at various levels of the adolescents' ecology has strong implications for practice.     

A Review of Research on School Bullying Among African American Youth: An Ecological Systems Analysis

School bullying and peer victimization are social problems that affect African American youth across various environmental contexts. Regrettably, many of the empirical research on bullying and peer victimization among African American youth has examined individual and direct level influences in silos rather than a constellation of factors occurring in multiple settings, such as home, school, and neighborhood. As a holistic model, the social–ecological framework provides a context with which to situate and interpret findings and draw implications from a broader psychosocial framework, which can be applicable across various systems. We utilize Bronfenbrenner’s (American Psychologist 32:513–531, 1977) social–ecological framework as a springboard for investigating the accumulation of risk contributors and the presences of protective factors in relation to school bullying and peer victimization of African American youth. More specifically, we examine the risk and protective factors occurring in the micro- (i.e., parents, peers, school, and community), exo- (i.e., parental stress), and macrosystem levels (i.e., hypermasculinity, and gender role beliefs and stereotypes). We then discuss implications for research and school-based practice.     

Resilience in young children involved with child protective services

Child maltreatment increases the risk of poor developmental outcomes. However, some children display resilience, meaning they are high-functioning despite their adverse experiences. To date, few research studies have examined protective factors among very young maltreated children. Yet, domains of resilience, and the protective factors that promote resilience among maltreated children, are likely to differ by developmental stage. Drawing on ecological systems theory and life course theory, we examined how protective factors at multiple ecological levels across early childhood were related to social and cognitive resilience among very young children involved with child protective services. The results demonstrated that the buffering effects of protective factors varied by social or cognitive resilience and the cumulative effects of protective factors were more consistently related to later resilience than protective factors at specific time points. In addition, the influence of specific protective factors on resilience slightly varied by initial in-home or out-of-home placement. These findings have important policy and research implications for promoting optimal development among children involved in child protective services.     

审计风险及其控制途径

审计风险就是审计项目风险,它具有客观性、潜在性、严重性和可控性等特征。审计风险由固有风险、控制风险和检查风险三个要素构成。对审计风险三要素的分析,是为了加强对审计风险的控制。其具体控制途径有宏观控制、微观控制以及审计自身风险因素的控制。     

Prenatal Neighborhood Ethnocultural Context and the Mental Health of Mothers and Children in Low-Income Mexican American Families

Socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods increase the risk for poor mental health among residents, yet protective factors may operate alongside risk. This study evaluated the influence of the prenatal neighborhood ethnocultural context on child behavior problems and maternal depressive symptoms. Prenatal maternal role expectations, prenatal culture-specific stress, and postpartum depression (PPD) symptoms were evaluated as mediators. Participants included 322 low-income, Mexican American mother-child dyads. Women (M_age = 27.8) reported on proposed mediators, maternal depressive symptoms, and child behavior problems at 4.5 years. Neighborhood Latinx concentration was obtained from census data. Higher Latinx concentration predicted fewer maternal depressive symptoms and child behavior problems, mediated through role expectations and PPD symptoms. Results suggest prenatal neighborhood context to impact later maternal and child mental health.     

Students’ behaviour difficulties,sense of coherence and adjustment at school: risk and protective factors

The objectives of the study were to examine the characteristics of non‐referred children with behaviour difficulties (BD) (such as verbal and physical aggression towards children and objects), aged 9–12 years and attending mainstream schools, and to compare them with children with no BD. The second objective was to evaluate the contribution of a risk and protective factors model to the explanation of the social and academic characteristics of these students. The sample consisted of 337 students (Grades Three to Six from seven schools in the central area of Israel) divided into two groups: 163 students with BD (142 boys and 21 girls), and 174 students without BD (145 boys and 29 girls). The groups were compared, using the following measures: teachers’ assessment of academic achievement and behaviour problems (reactive and proactive aggression; hyperactive behaviour); peer’s ratings of social status (degree of social acceptance and rejection, reciprocal friendship and reciprocal rejection), and students’ self‐perceptions – their sense of coherence and loneliness. Results revealed that teachers evaluated students with BD as achieving lower academic grades and as displaying higher levels of hyperactive behaviour as well as three different types of aggression. Peer ratings of social status revealed that students with BD were less accepted at their classes and had fewer friends. They were more rejected by peers and had more identified enemies. Self‐perception comparisons revealed significant differences in their loneliness and sense of coherence. Results of the structural equation modelling analysis suggested a high degree of fit between the risk and protective factors’ model and the empirical findings for students with and without BD. Results of the study corroborate the model that explain children’s academic and social adjustment, considering the joint impact of risk (behaviour disorders) and protective factors (the sense of coherence), with educational implications in terms of teachers’ sensitising and programme development.     

Parents with intellectual disabilities seeking professional parenting support: The role of working alliance,stress and informal support

Delaying or refraining from seeking advice and support in difficult parenting situations is identified as an important risk factor for child abuse and neglect. This study tested whether the extent of delays in support seeking is associated with working alliance for parents with mild intellectual disabilities (MID) and whether the importance of working alliance may depend on parenting stress and availability of informal support. Delays in support seeking were measured as parental latency (time waited) to approach the support worker. This latency was assessed in the intended response to hypothetical situations (vignettes) and in the reported behavioral response to real life difficult parenting situations from the preceding weeks. Multiple regression analyses were conducted for testing main and interaction effects of predictors on latency for support seeking. Better quality of the working alliance was associated with shorter intended latency to seek support for parents with MID, if parents had little access to informal support. Higher parenting stress predicted a shorter latency for intended support seeking. Parental support seeking intentions were positively associated with support seeking behavior. A good quality of the working alliance might be important to connect needs of parents with MID to resources that professional support can offer, in particular for the most vulnerable parents. Parental reluctance to seek professional support may be the result of a combination of risk and protective factors and is not always a sign of poor working alliance. Implications for risk assessment and support practice are discussed.     

Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms,Perceived Stress,and Resilience in College Students

This research investigated the relationships among symptoms associated with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), perceived stress, and resilience in college students. In our study of 558 college students (175 men, 383 women), we confirmed the hypothesis that the relationship between ADHD symptoms and perceived stress is mediated by protective factors associated with resilience. The relationships were not significantly moderated by sex. Implications for increasing resilience in college students and lowering perceived stress for college students are discussed.     

Predicting Behavior Problems in Children with Epilepsy: Child Factors, Disease Factors, Family Stress, and Child-Mother Interaction

This study examines the relative role of parent-child relationships, family stress, and disease factors in predicting behavior problems in children with epilepsy. It extends existing literature on parent-child relationships and behavior problems by examining children with biological risk. Child-mother interaction was observed for 51 children with epilepsy ages 7–13 years and related to teacher- and parent-reported behavior problems. Child's self-reliance correlated with parent-reported problems; expression of affect related to teacher-reported externalizing problems. A child self-reliance factor accounted for behavior problems after partialing age, gender, IQ, epilepsy variables, and family stress. The term child gender × quality of mother-child interaction predicted teacher-reported externalizing problems, with mother-child interaction correlated with behavior problems for boys. Child-parent relationships predict the development of behavior problems over and above the influence of disease-related factors, even for children at considerable biological risk.     

The influence of child,family, home factors and pre‐school education on the identification of special educational needs at age 10

The early identification of young children's special educational needs (SEN), as well as the development of specific strategies to support those children identified with special needs, are increasingly recognised as crucial to facilitating good adjustment to school and to ensuring that such children are helped to reach their full potential in education. Using a large national sample of young children in England whose developmental progress was followed up from pre‐school, this study investigates which child, family, home and pre‐school factors can be viewed as risk or protective factors for later SEN‐status at age 10. The experience of high‐quality pre‐school education is shown to reduce the likelihood of a child being identified as experiencing SEN in the long run. Teachers’ assessments of SEN are found to be strongly related to children's reading and mathematics attainment, but other factors also predict SEN, including a child's age within a year group.