Social competence
Resilient children and adolescents respond more to contact with other human beings and generate more positive responses in other people; they are more active, flexible and adaptable even in childhood. They manage to communicate quickly, show empathy and affection, that is, have prosocial behaviours.
An increasingly valued quality is a sense of humour. This means having the ability to find relief by laughing at your misadventures, looking at things for the funny side.
Resilient children from an early age tend to establish more positive relationships with others. In adolescents, social competence is expressed predominantly by interaction with their peers and the ease of making friends, and this is progressively more selective and moves from group relationships to romantic relationships.
Studies made with individuals who presented delinquency problems show that they present a lack of social competence in childhood.
Problem resolution
Research done with resilient children has found that the ability to solve problems is identifiable in early infancy. This includes the ability to think flexibly and abstractly and to achieve alternative solutions to both cognitive and social problems. In adolescence, they can handle ideas and philosophical systems. Studies of adults with psychological problems have identified a lack of this ability.
The literature on street children, who grew up in slums, gives examples of the role these skills play in developing resilience since these children must continually negotiate in an adverse environment to survive.
Autonomy
Some authors see autonomy as a strong sense of independence; others highlight the importance of achieving internal control; others the ability to separate from a dysfunctional family and psychologically place themselves outside of sick parents. They are all referring to the sense of one’s own identity, being able to act independently and the control of some elements of the environment.
Resilient children can separate their experiences and illness from their parents; they understand that they are not the cause of the family problem. This distancing provides a protective space for the development of self-esteem and proposing constructive goals.
Sense of Purpose and Future
It is related to the sense of autonomy, confidence that you can have some control over the environment; it is the sense of the future. Within this category fall several factors considered protective, healthy expectations, clear objectives, orientation towards their achievement, success in what they undertake and the strongest in resilient adults, faith in a better future; this factor seems to be one of the most powerful predictors of positive resilience outcomes.
The profile of the resilient child can be constructed by assigning a score of 0 to 3 to each of these characteristics, 0 indicates the non-existence of the attribute, 1 indicates its presence in a minimum degree, 2 in an intermediate way and 3 in a higher degree. This can be represented graphically and is a valuable tool for designing social intervention programs in resilience.
We can say that the first generation of researchers focused on distinguishing those individuals who adapt despite risk predictions. He emphasized human capacity. You are resilient.
The Second Generation
The second generation focused on establishing the dynamics between factors that allow positive adaptation. He emphasized the process, promotion and social context. This is very important to us, and it can be taught to be resilient. You learn to be resilient.
The second generation of researchers, who began to publish in the mid-nineties, asks: what are the processes associated with positive adaptation given that the person has lived or lives in adversity conditions?
The object of research of this second generation is to continue with the interest of the first generation, to infer what factors are present in those individuals at high social risk who adapt positively to society, to which they add the study of the dynamics between factors that are at the foundation of resilient adaptation.
From the year 2000 onwards, the most recent authors primarily consider resilience as a dynamic process where the influences of the environment and the individual interact in a reciprocal ecological relationship that allows the person to adapt. These authors are based on the ecological-transactional model, which has its origin in the ecological model of Bronfenbrenner.
They trust themselves
Resilient people are confident in their worth and in their competence to overcome adversity. We tell ourselves what ends up forming our reality, so if we believe that we are not capable of overcoming an obstacle, of course, we will not be.
They are empathetic
Women with DeLeon teeth representing resilient people
People with a greater capacity to deal with problems correctly know how to read the emotions of others, understand what is happening around them and act accordingly.
According to an investigation by Fenández, Márzque-González and López (2008), the happier people can empathize more with others. On the other hand, those with depression defensively focus on their own needs. This theory fits into the fact that resilient people are more empathetic. By taking life differently and facing everything as an apprenticeship, her way of seeing life is more optimistic, making her a happier person.
Why is it essential for a country to be resilient?
Because it allows us to mobilize our resources more quickly, I mean everything from portable toilets to trust.
How to develop a resistant personality in times of coronavirus, according to psychologist Laura Rojas-MarcosCountries must be resilient.
Think about how changeable the environments we all live in today are due to the tragedies caused by natural events such as covid-19, forest fires or earthquakes.
Change and adversity are pouring in, and resilient nations and societies are much better able to respond at such times to protect their vulnerable people and the economy and thus withstand whatever comes their way in a much better way.
In that sense, we know that not being represented in society – whether for race, sexuality, ability or mental illness – is potentially detrimental to resilience.
Any form of prejudice like that, that feeling that you don’t belong, are not seen and heard, is hurtful and reduces resilience.
