School as an opportunity and resilience factor for young people placed in care

Abstract

The aim of this article is to describe and discuss how school can constitute a life opportunity and a resilience factor for young people at risk, as well as for those placed in care. Thirty-three young people were interviewed on two separate occasions. The results showed that school could provide a place of structure and safety, in contrast to a chaotic family life. When it was impossible to bring friends home, due to parents' problems, school also gave young people from dysfunctional families a chance to spend time with friends, and provided them with a sense of ‘normality’. When school had skilled professionals—teachers, mentors and nurses—who approached children and young people with empathy and commitment, our interviewees felt recognised and appreciated. The possibility of repeating a year was also of importance. Providing a school of high as well as stable quality, with well educated and committed professionals, may constitute an important resilience factor for disadvantaged children and young people, and thus constitute a platform for the opening of educational pathways and enhancing of future life opportunities. School could also give children and young people access to social capital, when birth families had few resources.