A Short Introduction to Promoting Resilience in Children: (JKP Short Introductions)

A child's capacity to cope with adversity and 'stand on their own two feet' is seen as critical to their development, well-being, and future independence and success in adulthood. Psychological strength, or resilience, directly affects a child's capacity to cope with adversity. This book provides a succinct, accessible and clear guide on how to promote resilience in children and achieve positive developmental outcomes for them. The author covers three key factors that affect resiliency: vulnerability to stress and anxiety, attachment relationships, and access to basic needs. For each, the author presents practical advice and strategies, such as how to regulate children's stress and anxiety, how to encourage and maintain secure attachments, and how to assure children that their needs are understood and will be met. The model presented will help parents and carers ensure their children grow up happy, healthy and resilient. This book will be invaluable for parents, carers and practitioners in supportive roles caring for children.

Table of Contents:
A Short Introduction. Prologue. 1. Understanding Resilience. 2. Biological Influences on Resilience - Arousal. 3. Psychological Influences on Resilience - Attachment. 4. Environmental Influences on Resilience - Needs-Provision. A Short Conclusion. Glossary of Terms. About the Author. Endnotes. Index.

About the Author :
Colby Pearce is Principal Psychologist at Secure Start, a private psychology practice based in Adelaide, Australia, that specialises in service provision to children and adolescents who have experienced complex trauma. He is the author of A Short Introduction to Attachment and Attachment Disorder and has extensive experience in teaching and training of psychologists and other professionals who work with children.

Review :
As an introduction to the subject of resilience in children the work provides a useful and straightforward guide for parents and caregivers in providing some practical advice and guidance and could be a useful tool for professionals in the training of foster carers. The book is replete with easy-to-read examples, taken both from the author's personal experiences as well as clinical and hypothetical examples. The examples are simple, conveying his meaning clearly. In his clear and accessible style, Colby Pearce defines the value and significance of resilience as an essential aspect of psychological survival. He traces the origins of resilience in the early relationships which shape our emotional and social development and describes processes and responses that enhance resilience for children who have had a less than adequate start in life. This is a valuable book for anyone involved in children’s emotional well-being, from parents and community to schools and policy makers. Pearce (Jessica Kingsley Publishers) is a necessary and succinct guide in a market a little too full of lengthy texts but an area, too, where much is said but how to achieve the objectives is not always understood... this is a book helpful for parents, carers and professionals.