Teaching Young Adults Resilience as they Transition into Adulthood: by Shirley
The transitioning years are those years between the ages of 18 to 30 years old (Burt & Paysnick 2012). This age groups is on the pathway of become more self-sufficient and not relying on their parents for support, resources and care.
What is resilience? Resilience is the personal and environmental resources that help a person to overcome life’s challenges. Or as we often hear it referred to “bouncing back.” A person has to face challenges and problems that are “significant” in order to show resilience.
Much of what emerging adults experience is related to cultural and societal influences. What can a parent do to help? First of all as parents we need to be patient and show unconditional love for our children. (Remember that you can love your child and not like some of the choices that they are making). Second we need to give your emerging adult chances for success. Research has shown that some of the things that help young adults are changes in friendships, living arrangements, getting an education, a stable job or career and separation from dysfunctional relationships (Burt & Paysnick 2012). It is interesting to note that children growing up in a advantaged neighborhood and had high cognitive abilities were about three times more likely to be classified as resilient than those growing up in the same neighborhood without high cognitive abilities (Burt & Paysnick 2012).
How Parents Can Help:
To help your teen transition into adulthood a parent needs to allow an increased amount of autonomy and independence while still offering positive and consistent support. There is no single right way to help your youth transition into adulthood, however it has been found that those teens that have self-efficacy and a drive for mastery seem to weather the trials of life with more grace and resilience. They do not define themselves by the challenges that they may face either (Burt & Paysnick 2012).
Parents can help their young adults by encouraging health friendships and relationship. Those of a positive adult mentor will also help the emerging adult. Parents with a positive relationship with their children are better able to influence successful outcomes.
Bouncing Back:
A young adult who does not have to face the challenge of poverty, or serious life challenges also fair better than those who do face those challenges. It is interesting to note that young adults with high cognitive abilities, set goals, have a personality that is high in emotional stability and receive positive parenting do better during this developmental period. On a lighter note in a study done on at-risk teens in Hawaii found that most of those who faced challenges were able to “bounce back” by the fourth decade. While these findings many seem tough it can also give us hope in the future (Burt & Paysnick 2012).
References:
Burt, K. B., & Paysnick, A. A. (2012). Resilience in the transition to adulthood. Development and Psychopathology, 24(02), 493-505.
It is a bit discouraging to hear the research on youth living in poverty, all of the obstacles they have to overcome. We think of all the problems we see associated with youth living in poverty and try to target these problems with the appropriate programs, but we are not usually hitting the core of the problem-poverty. We have a backwards approach; we don't usually help these youth until they are in some kind of trouble, focusing on the residual problems that develop because of living in conditions of poverty.
ReplyDeleteKamille,
DeleteI agree with you, the research on this subject shows multiple risk factors for youth living in poverty, yet there are very few remedies. We are constantly addressing the outcomes and not addressing the causes. I feel that admitting there is a problem is the first step towards correcting the problem, which gives me great hope for the future.