At-risk Kids

What do they need to succeed?

 The term "at-risk kid" seems to be popping up around every corner lately. Just exactly, what is an "at-risk kid"? According to the resiliency research done by Bonnie Benard, there are various "risk factors" that increase the likelihood that someone will become involved in behaviours that lead to further difficulties in a child's life. These behaviours could be alcohol and drug use, crime, gang involvement, violence, or a myriad of other behaviours that we would look at as being unhealthy. Some examples of risk factors are illness, dropping out of school, pregnancy, violence, family conflict, divorce, abuse, school failure, peers with unhealthy behaviours and attitudes, poverty, lack of community bonding, and discrimination.

It may seem hopeless to make a difference when we see the circumstances that many youth face today. But, there is hope. The hope comes in knowing that increasing the protective factors in a youth's life can and, for many, has made a huge difference. In the resiliency research, time and time again, three factors emerged that pointed the way down the path from risk to resiliency. Having at least one caring and supportive adult in their lives can help children overcome the risks and rise above difficult circumstances.

The other two factors that seem to matter most are giving a child an opportunity to participate and make meaningful contributions to their school, family or community, and for the adults in their lives to have high and realistic expectations for their success.

Having at least one caring and supportive adult in their lives can help children overcome the risks and rise above difficult circumstances.

The supportive adult may not have it within their power to reduce the risk factors in a child's life, but it has been shown that increasing protective factors can balance out those negative effects.

You can help a child build resilience by helping them build internal protective factors: by helping them to acquire life skills, by encouraging them to use their creativity, flexibility and sense of humour, by fostering a love of learning, and by helping them to become more independent.

Shifting our focus from deficits to assets, from risk to resiliency is a major step in reaching out and helping those kids we see getting lost along the path. Increasing the protective factors in a child's life is very important in helping that child grow to be a caring, competent, and confident member of society.