Promoting Resilience in Schoolchildren in Urban Slums

Abstract

This research used a mixed methods approach to examine the process of resilience promotion for schoolchildren in urban slums. The specific objectives were to examine: (a) resilience traits; (b) protective factors of family, school, peers and community; (c) adaptive outcomes; (d) factors predicting resilience and adaptive outcomes and (e) processes of resilience promotion. The respondents in the quantitative study were selected from secondary students living in urban slums in Bangkok. Data were collected from 306 respondents using a questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The qualitative study was conducted on a purposively selected sample of cluster groups using in-depth interviews and content analysis. From the quantitative results, the mean resilience scores were high for the resilience traits of sense of purpose and ethics, protective factors of family and school, and adaptive outcomes in learning achievement. They were low for the sense of self, problem-solving and social behaviors. Protective factors could predict resilience traits by 37.2%; some of the resilience traits could also predict adaptive outcomes. The qualitative results revealed three resilience promotion processes: (a) promotion and competency development was important to establish and maintain self-esteem and self-efficacy and promote positive behaviors; (b) risks were reduced by prevention or suppression, so children could deal with problems and (c) the process of problem-solving and healing management occurred in children exposed to risk factors, including problem-solving management and reducing negative impacts from exposure to risks. This research indicates that child competency development, risk prevention, problem-solving and healing management are important for promoting children’s resilience traits by the family, school, peers and community.