A new report claims that “non-white race” adolescents showed higher resilience in the foster care system as they approached the age of emancipation. Many foster youth face challenges transitioning into independent adults. These challenges are related to difficult experiences in childhood and lack of adequate resources, resulting in dysfunctional behaviors and outcomes. The study attempts to explore the success stories among these high-risk youth–those who circumvent the challenges and dysfunction, which the report defines as resilience.
The study, first published online in July 2015, was recently printed in the February 2016 issue of the International Journal of Mental Health. It aimed to highlight factors that may contribute to overall resilience functioning in foster youth so that interventions and programing may be tailored to focus on the behaviors that promote competence and self-sufficiency.
Svetlana Shpiegel studied 351 youth in foster care reaching the age of emancipation–those who will age out of the system–and all of the supports that come with it. Shpiegel examined risk factors such as drug use and teenage pregnancy, and protective factors, such as intelligence and supportive adults, that contributed to difficulties and successes in transitioning out of foster care.
To continue reading this article by Victoria Rocha, go to: https://chronicleofsocialchang...re-resilient-2/16018
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