Читать книгу Introduction to Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology - Robert Weis - Страница 83

Ramon and Rafael are brothers growing up in the same impoverished neighborhood. Ramon, the older brother, begins showing disruptive behavior at a young age. He is disrespectful to his mother, defiant toward his teachers, and disinterested in school. By late elementary school, he has been suspended a number of times for fighting and being truant. In junior high school, Ramon associates with peers who introduce him to other antisocial behaviors, such as shoplifting and breaking into cars. By adolescence, Ramon rarely attends school and earns money selling drugs. At 15, Ramon is removed from his mother’s custody because of his antisocial behavior and truancy.

Rafael, the younger brother, also shows early problems with defiance and aggression. However, these problems do not persist beyond the early elementary school years. Although Rafael does not enjoy school, he befriends an art teacher who recognizes his talent for drawing. The teacher offers to tutor him in art and help him show his work. Rafael also takes art classes at a local community center to learn new mediums. Through these classes, he meets other adolescents interested in drawing and painting. Rafael’s grades in high school are generally low; however, he excels in art, music, and draftsmanship. He graduates with his class and studies interior design at community college.

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What accounts for Ramon’s struggles and Rafael’s resilience? Although there is no easy answer, a partial explanation might be the presence of protective factors at just the right time in Rafael’s development. Ramon’s path to antisocial behavior was probably facilitated by peers who introduced him to criminal activities. In contrast, Rafael’s peer group encouraged prosocial activities and the development of artistic competence. If Rafael’s teacher did not encourage the development of his talents until later in Rafael’s development, perhaps after he developed friendships with deviant peers, would he have followed the same developmental pathway as Ramon? Although we do not know for sure, we can speculate that these protective factors played an important role in his ability to achieve despite multiple risks (Masten & Cicchetti, 2016).

Most protective factors occur spontaneously: A teacher nurtures a special talent in an at-risk youth, a coach encourages a boy with depression to join a team, or a girl who has been abused is adopted by loving parents. Sometimes, however, protective factors are planned to prevent the emergence of disorders. For example, communities may offer free infant and toddler screenings to identify and help children with developmental disabilities at an early age. Similarly, schools may offer prevention programs for students at risk for learning disabilities. Even psychotherapy can be seen as a protective factor. Therapy helps children and adolescents alter developmental trajectories and promote long-term well-being (Masten & Kalstabakken, 2019).

Review

 Risk factors interfere with the acquisition of children’s competence or their ability to adapt to their surroundings. Protective factors buffer children from risks.

 Resilience occurs when children develop competence despite the presence of multiple risk factors.