Ordinary magic. Resilience processes in development.

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Child Psychology
• Human Adaptation

Background:

• Traditional models often focused on deficits in children facing adversity.
• Resilience research challenges deficit-focused assumptions about child development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-evaluate the nature of resilience in development.
• To explore the commonality of resilience across various studies.
• To inform policy and practice for at-risk children.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized findings from variable-focused research.
• Analyzed person-focused investigations of resilience.
• Examined normative functions of human adaptational systems.

Main Results:

• Resilience is a common outcome for children facing disadvantage.
• Resilience typically emerges from ordinary adaptive processes.
• Threats to development often compromise protective systems.

Conclusions:

• Resilience is an ordinary, not extraordinary, developmental process.
• This perspective offers a positive outlook on human adaptation.
• Findings guide interventions to enhance development in at-risk youth.