Resilience is defined as the ability to maintain competent functioning after exposure to significant stressors or adversity. In the life of a vulnerable adolescent, adversities are manifold: academic failure, family difficulties, poverty, or bullying. Resilience does not eliminate these difficulties, but teaches young people to navigate through them and get back on track with their social and emotional development.
For adolescents who have been excluded, resilience is vital to prevent permanent withdrawal. Young people without resilience may perceive a specific rejection as a definitive social condemnation and opt for total isolation, exacerbating their exclusion. Conversely, resilience fosters a growth mindset; it teaches young people to view setbacks as temporary challenges rather than personal failures.
The “Tu Mejor Versión” project trains resilience through dynamics that strengthen adaptive coping mechanisms, such as seeking effective social support and reframing the situation positively. By developing this inner strength, young people acquire the ability to persist in seeking new friendships, to try again to participate in the classroom after a mistake, or to seek help when they need it. Resilience transforms adolescents from passive victims of circumstance to active agents of their own reintegration, demonstrating a tenacity that, in turn, attracts the support and respect of their peers and adults.
Reference: Luthar, S. S., Cicchetti, D., & Becker, B. (2000). The construct of resilience: A review of definitions, approaches, and research findings. Development and Psychopathology, 12(4), 857-885.