A critical review of South African child and youth resilience studies, 2009–2017

Adrian D. van Breda and Linda C. Theron

Children and Youth Services Review, 2018, vol. 91, issue C, 237-247

Abstract: In contexts of high levels of structural disadvantage, such as South Africa, resilience among children and youth becomes increasingly important to buffer children and youth from the negative effects of adversity. This article reports on a systematic review of research conducted in South Africa over the period 2009 to 2017 on the resilience of children and youth (ages 0 to 24) from the perspectives of young people themselves. It serves as a follow-up and refinement of an earlier publication in 2010. A total of 61 journal articles are reviewed. Four categories of social-ecological resilience-enablers emerge from these study, viz. personal, relational, structural and spiritual/cultural. Most of the resilience-enablers identified in these studies are in the personal and relational domains. Various reasons for this finding are discussed, and emerging recommendations for service professionals (particularly social worker and educational psychologists) and youth resilience researchers are advanced.

Keywords: Resilience; Social ecological; Protective resources; Young people; Systematic review; South Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:91:y:2018:i:c:p:237-247

DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.06.022

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