Building resilient youths: practical tips to help them make healthy choices

BY PAUL JUNOR

There are many challenges that teenagers face as they navigate through the physical, emotional and social issues that are related to their lived realities and daily experiences. Dr. Kristen Mcleod in a presentation titled, “Kids, Brains and Stress,” on November 7^th, 2017 to the Peel Board of Education stated, “Resilience is the ability to adapt in the face of challenge and adversity. Resilience is how people can be supported to resist, recover from and sometimes even grow from adverse experiences. Resilience is the ability of a person, system, or organization to meet challenges, survive and do well despite adversity. It is what allows you to bend, not break, in the face of life’s challenges. It is the counterbalance of trauma, the ability to withstand and rebound from stress.” It is what makes it possible for teenagers to make healthier choices when coping with life’s challenges. Resilience is integral to teen’s mental, emotional and spiritual well-being, as it ensures that they are able to amplify protective factors and minimize the role of risk factors in their lives.

An important study titled, “The Relationship of Adverse Childhood Experiences to Adult Health: Turning Gold into Lead” was released in 2002 by Vincent Felitte and Robert Anda. This article which is described as the Adverse Childhood Experiences or the ACE study shows the relationship between ten different categories of adverse childhood experiences (e.g.: physical and sexual abuse, physical and emotional neglect and various measures of household dysfunction). According to Paul Tough in his book, “How Children Succeed”, the authors of the ACE study noted, “The correlations between adverse childhood experiences and negative outcomes were so powerful”…the higher the ACE score, the worse the outcome on almost every measure from addictive behaviour to chronic disease.”

According to Tough, “We now know that early stress and adversity can literally get under a child’s skin, where it can cause damage that lasts a lifetime. There is also some positive news in this research. Parents and caregivers who are able to form, close nurturing relationships with their children can foster resilience in them that protects them from many of the worst effects of a harsh, early environment”

Parents, caregivers and adult role models play a critical role by being a vital source of protector factor, which promotes positive mental health. Individuals who are able to model good behaviours to teenagers by being caring, supportive and helpful can reduce the likelihood of mental health problems and illness. By helping teens cope in positive ways through healthy eating, being physically activity and getting enough sleep, their self-image will improve, and great results can be seen in overall emotional and mental health. It is also important that teenagers receive validation and are not judged harshly when they make mistakes. Praise should be offered for what they do well. By acknowledging their contributions to family, school community it can go a long way to building a positive sense of self.

It is also important that adult figures show teens the behaviour that you expect of them.  Teens require clearly articulated guidelines when it comes to their behaviour. These can be negotiated with parents/guardians and caregivers with respect to expectations, consequences and discipline. It is also important that teens are listened to especially when they are going through difficult times. By allowing them to share their opinions, experiences and perspectives, it builds healthy relationships marked by open, transparent and respectful communication. Consequently, these youths will be less inclined to participate in potentially harmful behaviours.