Resilience: An Evidence Based Framework RESILIENCE IN CHILDHOOD:

INTERDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVESFriday 9 July 2004 at UWE BRISTOL

University of the West of England

Mike Blamires:

Principal Lecturer, Centre for Enabling Learning

Faculty of Education,

Canterbury Christ Church University College

M.Blamires@canterbury.ac.uk

Exploring the evidence base for Resilience

Context

History

Definition

What kinds of resilience are needed ?

Whole School work on E/B development

A model of complex change

A social model of learning

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Literacy

Vignette

Differences in safety

Teacher Agendas

Has Resilience come of age ?

• We live in a ‘risk society’• It is about multi faceted capacity building• Resilience may support joined up thinking

and doing• Can it put into context a wide range of

evidence for intervention• Could it enrich our understanding of

inclusion, participation and achievement

Whence Resilience ?Ann and Alan Clarke in1950 @

Manor Hospital, Epsom housed 1,500 people all compulsorily detained under the 1913 Mental Deficiency Act of 1913 with a strict segregation of the sexes and a budget of £5 per patient per week that covered everything from staffing to bed linen.

70% were deemed ‘feeble minded’ (mildly retarded) but many were not feeble minded at all.

Whence Resilience ?Ann and Alan ClarkeFound that the IQ test by itself was a limited

instrument to measure and guide development.

That use of training over long periods of time could lead to the development of skills that could lead to employment.

Were also central to the unmasking of the scientific fraud of Cyril Burt whose work was influential in creating the tripartite systems of ‘specialist schools’ at eleven plus ie technical, grammar and ‘secondary modern’

Whence Resilience ?Clarke, A.D.B. & Clarke, A.M. eds (1975): Early Experience: myth and evidence.London, Open Books

With contributions from Rutter, Kagen and Bronfenbrenner

The evidence does not support the theory of critical periods in human development but instead that the whole of the life path provides a potential for change depending on the degree of environmental change and constitutional factors in the child.

Resilience: Definitions

‘Resilience seems to involve several related elements.

Firstly, a sense of self-esteem and confidence;

secondly a belief in one’s own self-efficacy and ability to deal with change and adaptation;

and thirdly, a repertoire of social problem solvingapproaches ’

Risk factors are those that render and individual more likely to develop problems in the face of adversity Rutter 2000

Protective factors are those that act to protect an individual from developing a problem even in the face of adversity or risk factorsClarke & Clarke 2000

Family Factors: violence, abuse, neglect, discordant family relationships, being a young person who is being looked after outside the family, parental psychiatric illness, inconsistent or unclear discipline, parental criminality, death and loss, rejection by parents;

Family Factors: supportive relationships with adults, small family size, material resources such as adequate family income, clear and consistent discipline, support for education

Social Factors: poverty, economic crises, deprivation, homelessness, rejection by peers, being a member of a deviant peer group;

Social Factors: access to good educational facilities, wider support network, range of facilities available, positive policies in school for behaviour and attitudes, effective anti-bullying policies, good liaison between school and local communities

Factors in the child: low intelligence, chronic physical illness, hyperactivity, brain damage, communication difficulties, deafness, high alcohol use, drugs and substance abuse, academic failure, premature / under age sexual activity.

Factors in the child: a sense of mastery, participation in activities, sports and outside interests, being a member of a non-deviant peer group, even temperament, positive self esteem and intelligence or good social skills, religious affiliation

“Special educational needs”

Disability

Socio Economic Depravation

Learners with Medical Conditions

Travellers

Ethnic MinoritiesGender

Different groups may experience similar exclusionary forces ?

Looked After Children

School refusers/ phobics

Teenage Mothers

DfES (2001) Promoting Children's Mental Health in Early Years and School Settingshttp://www.dfes.gov.uk/sen/documents/mentalhealth.pdf

Individual

Being female

Higher Intelligence

Humour

Control

Reflector/Problem Solver

Communication skills

Believe systems

Fam

ily

Affection

Secure early relationships

Support for education

Clear firm discipline

School

High morale

Anti-bullying Policy

Strong academic

Strong non-academic

good behaviour policy

Com

munity

Wider supportive network

Good housing

High Living Stds

Range of positive sport/leisure

Limitations of the model

• Is really a model or a rag bag of factors

• These factors are part of a liberal agenda and lack specificityeg what is ‘good’or ‘high’

• Is a religion of benefit or is it a value system that is needed

• What are the ‘real factors’ and when are they important ?

Early childhood education may be viewed as an innovative mental health strategy that affects

many risk and protective factors

There are important characteristics shared by Early Years Settings that actively promote the emotional well being of children. These include:

• stable childcare arrangements so that children interact with just a few primary care givers in any one day;

• low staff turnover so that children are cared for by the same individuals over several years ;

• good staff training in child development;

• adequate staff to child ratios; and positive behaviour management.

Alongside this is the importance of the delivery of an effective pre-school curriculum for children. An effective pre-school curriculum must do more than instil a few facts or simple cognitive skills.

There are key characteristics which schools that promote their children’s and young

people’s mental health share• a committed senior management team, creating a culture within the school in which the importance of trust, integrity, democracy, equality of opportunity and each child being valued regardless of their ability is seen as being vital

• a culture within the school which values teachers, lunchtime supervisors, and all those engaged in the care and supervision of children ;

• clear policies regarding such vital issues as behaviour and bullying – ‘whole school behaviour’ policies which set out the range of acceptable behaviour for children, what is and what is not acceptable;

• the range of sanctions that will result and the acceptance and implementation of the policies throughout the school;

• high professional standards (efficient planning, setting, marking, punctuality)

• skilful teaching which arouses pupil interest and motivates; and

• proactive work with parents.

Individual Family

School

Examples of foci of Interventions to foster resilience

Community

School

Behaviour Support Service

Social Services

EWO

Is there joined up thinking and working that is knowledge driven and strategic & which builds capacity and exploits potential synergies or is everyone‘all over the place’?

Summaryhttp://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RB456.pdfFull reporthttp://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR456.pdf

Key findings: Terminology

• There is a wide range of terms in use in the field, and there is an ongoing debate about which is most appropriate. The development of a common language would help to promote a wider understanding and awareness.‘

• Emotional and social competence’ and ‘emotional and social wellbeing’ are considered the most appropriate and are used in this report. They are viewed as straightforward and non specialist. In addition, the term ‘competence’ implies knowledge, attitudes and behavioural components, which makes it particularly appropriate for use in school and other settings.

• Other terms that are often used include ‘emotional literacy’, ‘emotional intelligence’, and ‘mental health.’ Links should be made with these terms, and the most appropriate term should be used in relation to the given context.

Emotional and social competence: Definitions

‘Social and emotional competence is the ability to understand, manage and express the social and emotional aspects of one’s life in ways that enable the successful management of life tasks such as learning, forming relationships, solving everyday problems, and adapting to the complex demands of growth and development.’ Elias et al, (1997: 2.)

‘Social competence is processing and using the ability to integrate thinking, feeling and behaviour to achieve social tasks and outcomes valued in the host context and culture. In a school setting these tasks and outcomes would include assessing the school curriculum successfully, meeting associated personal social and emotional needs, and developing transferable skills and attitudes of value beyond school.’ Topping (1998)

Social-Emotional Learning and School Success Maximizing Children’s Potential by Integrating

Thinking, Feeling, Behavior

Joseph E. Zins, University of Cincinnati; Roger P. Weissberg, University of Illinois at Chicago; Margaret C. Wang, Temple University; and Herbert J. Walberg, University of Illinois at Chicago

Social and emotional competence is the bridge that allows youths to become successfully engaged with prosocial environments.

At each developmental stage, children’s skill at reading others and managing their own emotions and behaviors helps them recognize opportunities to participate and gain rewards in academic and social situations.

The competencies gained through social and emotional learning programs provide children with the skills for participation leading to a commitment to prosocial actions and relationships.

http://www.temple.edu/lss/pdf/ceicreviews/CEICVol10No6.pdf

Emotional and social intelligence

‘The ability to perceive accurately, appraise and express emotion; the ability to access and/or generate feelings which facilitate thought; the ability to understand emotion and emotional knowledge; the ability to regulate emotions to promote emotional and intellectual growth.’ (Mayer and Salovey, 1997:10).

Emotional literacy : Definition

‘Emotional literacy may be defined as the ability to recognise, understand, handle, and appropriately express emotions.’ Sharp (2001:1)Origin of the termThe term is usually attributed to Steiner, and was popularised by various influential figures in the 1990s, many from a psychotherapeutic background, such as Susie Orbach, who helped found Antidote: the Campaign for Emotional Literacy in the UK.

Communicating effectively

This competence involves being able to

communicate our own feelings and opinions

clearly

and openly with due regard for the feelings,

level of understanding and interests of the

people we are communicating with.

It includes:

choosing our own response

listening to others

responding effectively

being clear

giving others the respect we expect them to

give us

motivating others

Empathy This competence involves being

able to see the world from the

point of view of another person.

It includes:recognising emotions in others

having compassion for others

refraining from harming others

sensitivity - being able to intuit

how people are feeling from

their tone and body language

giving people the same concern

and respect as we give ourselvesaccepting others and tolerating

difference

Managing relationships

This competence involves the ability

to make relationships with others

that promote our own wellbeing

without damaging theirs. It

includes:establishing rapport

making connections with people

establishing appropriate levels of

trusttaking appropriate responsibility for

othersnegotiating ‘win win solutions’

managing difficulties in relationships

breaking and ending relationships

where necessary in an appropriate

and positive way

managing conflict.

Social Competences

Attachment to others

This competence involves the

ability to love and care about

others, and to trust that they

love and care about you.

Controlling the emotionsThis competence primarily involves being able to manage our emotions and not respond immediately or directly to a feeling, or to put it behind us if we judge this is the best thing to do. Some specific competences that constitute this include being able to:• observe our own emotions• be aware of what events, circumstances, thoughts and past experiences may have triggered a feeling.• soothe ourselves when anxious• calm ourselves when angry• contain our excitement when it is unhelpful• think straight when in the throws of powerful emotion• avoid sulking or withdrawal when angry or frustrated• talk positively to ourselves when things go wrong• relax physically• distract ourselves by thinking of or doing something else that is incompatible with the emotion..

Emotional competences

Increasing emotional intensity and frequencyThis competence primarily involves knowing how to increase the frequency and intensity of emotions and inner states that we and others find pleasurable Some emotions and inner states that most people find pleasurable include:happinessoptimismamusement, fun and laughterjoyloveengagement with a task, ‘flow’rapturecalmness and inner peacerelaxationlosing the self in the momentliving in the here and now.

Using information about the emotions to plan and solve problemsThis competence involves being able to use information about one’s own emotions and those of others to plan ahead, and organising the emotions in pursuit of a goal and to solve problems. Some of the constituent competences include: •looking to long term not short term benefits and gains/ delaying gratification•anticipating consequences of present action•generating effective solutions to interpersonal problems•being creative and seeing several ways forward, and round a problem•having a realistic appraisal of the likelihood of various outcomes

Experiencing a full range of emotionsThis competence includes:• experiencing, recognising and accepting the full range of emotions as they happen• being aware of the effects of different emotions, for example on the body, on mood, on behaviour, on how others around start to act• talking about our feelings, including naming the full range of emotions

Having an accurate and positive self conceptThis competence includes:being able to identify and feel positive about your own strengthsbeing able to identify your own weaknesses, and accepting them without self blame or guilthaving a clear view of aspects of yourself, such as your personality, preferences, and needshaving a sense of optimismhaving a coherent and continuous life story.

AutonomyThis competence includes:• being able to have an appropriate level of independence from others, to think critically, and to resist pressure from others• being able to make sense of yourself and what has happened to you and integrate your life story into a coherent whole.

Expressing feelingsThis competence includes:expressing feelings through facial expression, gesture, and body language, verbal language and tonedeveloping a complex language of the emotions, with a wide and precise vocabulary and range of expression expressing feelings clearly through writing and other forms, for example dance, music and art.

Having self esteemThis competence includes:valuing and respecting yourself as a unique individualseeing yourself as separate from others, with the right to be treated with respect and kindness by other .

Taking the social context into account in expressing feelingsThis competence primarily involves being able to express our feelings appropriately with due regard for the social context, taking into account, for example, the feelings of others, and our own long term best interests.

Being resilientThis competence involves being able to process and learn from a difficult experience, use it to aid our own development, and then to move on rather than be dragged down or immobilised by the experience.

Key findings : Improvements

Anecdotal evidence from LEAs suggests that work in this area has a range of benefits, including better behaviour, more confident staff and better pupil involvement.

Evidence from the research literature has demonstrated that work in this area can achieve the following outcomes:

– greater educational and work success– improvements in behaviour– increased inclusion– improved learning– greater social cohesion– improvements to mental health.

While convinced of the importance of this work, some LEAs are worried about how schools might accommodate it, given the range of other initiatives and developments underway in schools. At the same time, evidence from the research, and work in some LEAs has shown that it can directly contribute to school improvement.

Key findings : Holistic Approaches

•There is strong international evidence to suggest that a whole school approach is vital in effectively promoting emotional and social competence and wellbeing. The case study LEAs favoured an approach that focuses on the whole school and is aimed at all pupils, combined with a complementary focus on the needs of those with behavioural and emotional problems.

•It is recommended that the DfES encourages the use of whole school approaches, makes strong links between work on emotional and social competence and wellbeing and the work of the NHSS and other holistic approaches, and encourages LEAs and schools to do the same. This is likely to require explanation of what is meant by a ‘whole school’ approach, given the limited definitions that are currently in evidence.

Key findings : Team Work Promoting emotional and social competence is a complex activity which requires coherence to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Multi-professional approaches are effective in improving behaviour and promoting wellbeing and competence.

However such work presents one of the most common challenges for practitioners today, including those attempting to develop work on emotional and social competence and wellbeing in LEAs and schoolsEgMore recently, extended schools have been found to impact positively on pupil behaviour and attendance (Wilkin et al, 2003). These schools typically provide community services and facilities from within the school setting, through collaboration with other agencies.

Throughout the development of the criteria, practitioners emphasised the importance of taking a positive approach to pupils’ behaviour and their emotional and behavioural development. However, trialling revealed that staff were generally more confident in rating pupils’ performance against the criteria when descriptions of undesirable behaviours were also provided. The full criteria are given on pages 13–17.

Supporting school improvementEmotional and behavioural developmentQCA DfES 2001

http://www.qca.org.uk/ages3-14/downloads/pupils_emot_behav_diff.pdf

Supporting school improvementEmotional and behavioural developmentQCA DfES 2001

http://www.qca.org.uk/ages3-14/downloads/pupils_emot_behav_diff.pdf

Paul Blum (1998) “Surviving and Succeeding in Difficult Classrooms” Routledge Falmer

“…So start by disregarding the current “inspector speak” which says that pupils behave badly when the quality of teaching is insufficiently stimulating. They often behave badly when lessons are brilliantly planned because they prevent the teacher from starting properly; they often behave badly because they have poor skills in the subject area they are being asked to study (usually literacy and numeracy); but they most often behave badly because they have a very thin layer of motivation and a low level of concentration.” Blum, P.2

What do we want for our children?

We want children who

‘…..learn how to communicate their feelings, set themselves goals and work towards them, interact successfully with others, resolve conflicts peaceably, control their anger and negotiate their way through the many complex relationships in their lives today and tomorrow’

Adapted from Reva Klein, Defying Disaffection

OHT 1.9

‘Without their concrete realisation in behaviour, competences remain potential rather than actual… Programmes which attempt to build emotional and social competences must include extensive, routinised, regular and predictable work to develop specific skills across the curriculum, and reinforce these skills by pupils’ real life experiences across the whole school’What works in developing children’s emotional and social competence and well-being, DfES Research Report 456

Quoted in

OHT 1.10

SEBS: TAUGHT AND CAUGHT

Problem or solution focused• Individual as problem

• What is not working• Analysing the past

• Stuckness• Failure• Victim• Resistance (blamed)

• Hopelessness /despair

• Individual as whole• What works• Focus on preferred

future• Movement• Success• Survivor• Partnership

(empowered)• Expectation of

change

DfES Behaviour & Attendance Strands of the Strategies

Vision Skills ResourcesIncentives Action Plan+ +++ = Change

Skills ResourcesIncentives Action Plan+++ = Confusion

Vision ResourcesIncentives Action Plan+++ = Anxiety

Vision Skills Resources Action Plan+ ++ = Resistance

Vision Skills Incentives Action Plan+ ++ = Frustration

Vision Skills ResourcesIncentives+ ++ = Treadmill

Thousand (2000) adapted from Knoster, T. (1991)

Managing Complex Change

The Chinese symbol for ‘Threat’

Is a combination of the symbols for danger and opportunity

Helping students graduate

www.dropoutprevention.org

Effective strategies for Dropout Prevention

Early InterventionBasic Core Strategies

Making the most of instruction

Family Engagement Mentoring/ Tutoring Professional development

Early Childhood Education

Service Learning Active Learning

Early Literacy Development

Alternative Schooling

Educational Technology

After School Opportunities

Individualised Instruction

Career and Technical Education

School Safety – Sample Student Questionnaire US 2004Items below taken from : Chapter 6 :Helping Students to graduate

My Life in School– Sample Student Questionnaire UK 2004During this week another pupil: 1 not at all 2 Only once 3 More than once

1 Do you feel a major violent incident, such as a shooting, could occur at your school? Y/N2 Have you ever seen a weapon at your school Never/ 1-5 Times / 6-10 Times / over10 times

1 Helped me with my homework7: Teased me because I am different17: Talked about clothes with me19: Told me a lie20 : Ganged up on me21 Tried to make me hurt other people

5 During the past year have you been threatened, intentionally hit in a way that harmed you or made you feel afraidY/N6 Do you know of anyone on your faculty to whom you could turn to if you knew of potential violence in your schoolY/N

25 Tried to hurt me27 Made me do something I did not want to31 Was rude about the colour of my skin32 Shouted at me38 Tried to break something of mine

7 How long would it take to get a gun in your communityA few hours/ a day/ a few days/ weapons are not available

Items above taken from Chapter 1.6 Emotional Health and Well-Being : A Practical Guide for SchoolsCowie et al (2004) PCP

Learningpractice

Learning as doing

community

Learning as belonging

meaning

Learning as experience

identity

Learning as becoming

Components of a social model of learning (Etienne Wenger 1997)

Pedagogy: Some components of learning?

Leroy comes from a family where discipline is harsh and physical. His dad used a heavy hand in punishing Leroy for misdemeanours from as far back as he can remember. The punishments triggered outbursts of anger and aggression on Leroy’s part. His mum rarely intervened to protect him for fear of violence from her abusive partner. Since he feared his father’s reaction, Leroy targeted his younger brothers. His dad left when Leroy was three years old and things were better for a time. However, his mum remarried and Leroy reacted angrily to his stepfather. He quickly became, in his step father’s words, ‘out of control’. Leroy became known at school as a bully to be feared. His teachers were frankly relieved when he truanted from school (as he often did) because of hisintimidating and disruptive behaviour in class. After a series of extremely aggressive episodes against pupils and teachers, Leroy was suspended from school. His academic work suffered but he did not care since he had won what he saw as ‘respect’ from his peer group.He became increasingly involved in a gang where his self esteem grew. By the age of 14 he had a number of convictions for theft and vandalism. By the age of 15 he had been permanently excluded from school.Extract from Cowie et al (2004) Emotional Health and Well Being : A Practical Guide for Schools PCP