Why Some Children Succeed Despite the Odds

(Hardback)

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What determines whether a child will fall victim to his troubled surroundings or whether he will overcome the adversity and even emerge strengthened Mental health professionals are beginning to focus on the identification of factors which can promote healthy adjustment, or "resilience", in children. In this volume, leading scholars in the field pioneer this alternative approach toward mental illness by attempting to define these factors of resilience which can then provide the groundwork for primary prevention specialists to develop and implement preventive rather than remedial programmes for children designated "at risk". Unlike previous books that profile resilience in a small sample group, this study extends the search for an adequate psychological definition of resilience by examining many diverse populations ranging from stepchildren to developmentally delayed children to children of religious cults. Each group's psychological dynamics are explored and the research documented, thereby providing a broad base of knowledge from which to derive a solid definition. and establishing a valid model for the recognition of positive motivations in children under stress.

Author Bio

WARREN A. RHODES is Professor of Psychology at Delaware State College. His major interests include the training and supervision of psychologists, counselors, social workers, and medical staff in the delivery of counseling and clinical services to juveniles and young adults. Dr. Rhodes contributed an article to The Abandonment of Delinquent Behavior (Praeger, 1988) and has written numerous articles for professional journals, including Faculty Journal and Journal of Clinical Child Psychology. WALN K. BROWN is founder and Chairman of the William Gladden Foundation, a non-profit organization that researches issues that affect children, especially juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice. He co-edited The Abandonment of Delinquent Behavior (Praeger, 1988) and has written numerous pamphlets and articles for professional journals on youth-related topics.