Caring Relationships as a Protective Factor for At-Risk Youth: An Ethnographic Study

Abstract

The resiliency literature documents that adult caring relationships are key to the development of resilience in children. The present ethnographic study of 23 youths' perceptions of caring adults explored the meanings they ascribe to caring relationships in helping them face adversity. The study confirmed that caring adults can serve as a protective factor for at-risk youth. In addition, the study delineated seven characteristics of those caring relationships: trust, attention, empathy, availability, affirmation, respect, and virtue. The presented results suggest a road map for self-reflection and skill development for those who seek to have a positive impact on the lives of challenging youth.

Capacity for Survival: Exploring Strengths of Homeless Street Youth

“…To face the immense challenge of day-to-day homeless existence, these young people must learn to adjust to the hardships associated with life on the streets. While acknowledging the difficulties associated with unstable living situations, research has suggested that innate capabilities of resiliency enable individuals to overcome the adverse effects of hardship (Laursen & Birmingham, 2003). This point of view encourages a balanced examination of individuals' limitations and strengths as challenges are regarded from a position of empowerment.…”

Culture at the core : the impact of culturally relevant professional learning on teacher beliefs and practice : a collection of scholarly papers.

“…Their support strengthened my resilience-my ability to "achiev[e] positive outcomes despite risk" (J. E. Brooks, 2006, p. 69). This is in keeping with resiliency literature which suggests that caring adult relationships can serve as protective factors for at-risk youths (Brooks, 2006;Laursen & Birmingham, 2003). In a study of middle-school students, researchers found that "perceived caring from teachers predicted motivational outcomes, even when students' current levels of psychological distress and beliefs about personal control, as well as previous (6th grade) motivation and performance, were taken into account" (Wentzel, 1997).…”

Social Support and Sense of Program Belonging Discriminate Between Youth-Staff Relationship Types in Juvenile Correction Settings

“…Once recruited, training in positive youth development principles would be helpful to encourage a strengths-based approach to juvenile care work (Butts et al 2005). As part of this training, staff should learn techniques to develop rapport with challenging youth (Laursen and Birmingham 2003). Staff training also should cover the potential pitfalls, suggested by this and other studies, that come from being too directive in approaches to problem-solving and unintentionally setting up correctional paradoxes.…”