Juvenile Resiliency Essay

Resilience is essentially the ability to successfully adapt to environmental stressors by maintaining psychological well-being in the face of adverse circumstances. The concept of resiliency has only recently begun to be a topic for research theory related to juveniles. Most theory research has been centered on why juveniles commit crime, in effect identifying risk factors to show who is likely to participate in delinquent behaviors and what are the factors driving this behavior are.
Primary research focus has been on the neurobiological and psychological factors that may be able to assist a juvenile in being resilient to their environment and other factors that would usually lead to a high risk level score. This approach is in on the opposite side of most current views but the development of this theory will help to explain why children exposed to similar adversity may have completely different responses; one may disappear into that delinquent, and ultimately criminal, pattern whereas the juvenile with resiliency will be able to overcome this same set of circumstances but in understanding there can be a spread of courage and responsibility in today’s youth (Brendtro, L., & Larson, S. (2004). The hope, beyond simply the ability to understand why, is that through research into resiliency there will be aspects that are identified and can be applied to youths to help spread this resilient ability which will reduce delinquency and create better, more stable and capable adults.
The knowledge base on juvenile resiliency to risk factors for delinquency is still in its beginning stages. With information collected so far it is known that risk factors that include poverty, single parent status and report of sexual abuse, and then resilie...

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...ological and social competence within juveniles that are lacking in many who present with these risk factors.
Through further research into resiliency there will be aspects that are identified and can be applied to youths to help extend this capacity for resiliency which will ultimately reduce delinquency and create better, more stable and capable adults. This research will work to bridge the gap between juveniles who come from bad homes, have bad genes, and have no money. Allowing for the inclusion of many young adults into a setting that will help them to develop into law abiding, functional, productive members of society. This research has the capacity to help break the cycle of violence and poverty that can be seen throughout many countries; resilience in juveniles can reduce delinquency and continued research will have a rippling effect into the future.