Promoting child and youth resilience by strengthening home and school environments: A literature review

Abstract

ABSTRACTA multisystemic model of resilience suggests that the capacity of one system to cope with atypical stress improves the capacity of co-occurring systems. In this paper, we review research demonstrating this relationship, where the more resilient caregivers are, the more likely children are to experience the promotive and protective factors they require for optimal growth and development in both home and school settings. We examine research from the last two decades on school- or family-based resilience promoting interventions, and advocate for a new perspective which adopts a multisystemic view of resilience in order to redirect the focus of the international research agenda, which places emphasis on children rather than systems. The implications of this multisystemic approach to resilience are discussed in relation to the design of programs that promote the well-being of parents and teachers in ways that contribute to more supportive and stable home and school environments for children.