A Community Fit for
Children and Youth:
Enhancing Resiliency in Children and Youth Living in
Disadvantaged Neighbourhoods
Research Funded by The United Way of Greater Toronto
Summary Report – December 2006
Partners in Change
Flemingdon Family
Daycare Services
Flemingdon Park
Parents Association
A Covenant for Honoring Children
We find these joys to be self-evident
That all children are created whole, endowed with innate
Intelligence, with dignity and wonder, worthy of respect
The embodiment of life, liberty and happiness,
Children are original blessings, here to learn their own song.
Every girl and boy is entitled to love, to dream, and to
Belong to a loving “village,” And to pursue a life of purpose.
We affirm our duty to nourish and nurture the young,
To honor their caring ideals as the heart of being human.
To recognize the early years as the foundation of life, and to
Cherish the contribution of young children to human evolution.
We commit ourselves to peaceful ways and vow to keep
from harm or neglect these, our most vulnerable citizens,
As guardians of their prosperity we honor
the bountiful Earth whose diversity sustains us,
Thus we pledge our love for generations to come.
A Covenant for Honoring Children
Written by Raffi
© 1999, 2004 Troubadour Music Inc.
All rights reserved. Used by permission
www.raffinews.com
A world fit for children is one in which all children get the best possible start in life and have
access to a quality basic education, including primary education that is compulsory and
available free to all, and in which all children, including youth, have ample opportunity to
develop their individual capacities in a safe and supportive environment. We will promote the
physical, psychological, spiritual, social, emotional, cognitive and cultural development of
children as a matter of national and global priorities.
A World Fit for Children, 2002, United Nations General Assembly Special Session on children
2
Table of Contents
4
Acknowledgements
5
Community Reflections on our Resiliency Research
8
Introduction
10
Resiliency Framework
16
Project Context and Goal
17
Methodology
20
Summary of Key Findings
31
Summary of Community Debriefings
35
Learning from the Research Process
38
Overview of Recommendations
43
Dissemination of the Findings
49
Implications and Next Steps
20
22
24
26
27
29
31
36
37
Tables:
One: Average Number of Child Developmental Strengths
Two: Extrinsic Strengths
Three: Intrinsic Strengths
Four: Outcome Indicators (Developed by Community Partners)
Five: Resiliency Strengths and At-Risk Behaviours
Six: Resiliency Strengths and Positive/Constructive Behaviours
Seven: Summary of Findings Presented for Feedback
Eight: Traditional Model of Community Service Delivery
Nine: Strength-Based Model of Community Service Delivery
Appendices
Appendix A: Child and Youth Resiliency: Assessing Developmental Strengths
Appendix B: Child and Youth Comprehensive Aggregated Resiliency Reports
Appendix C: Profile of Community Agency Partners
Appendix D: References
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank United Way of Greater Toronto for their generous support and
encouragement in funding both phases of this project and especially to Diane Dyson for her
guidance, enthusiasm and assistance.
We thank the participating members of the two communities and the staff of each community
agency that contributed their time, expertise and great energy to this study by supporting the
administration of the resiliency surveys and participating in the focus groups. We also want to
thank each of the children and youth who took the time to complete the resiliency questionnaire
along with the parents who gave permission for their children to participate.
We would especially like to thank Dr. Wayne Hammond of Resiliency Canada for his leadership,
expertise and patience in working with us through this research process. Thank you, for
challenging us to think about our communities’ “potential” and strengths and to re-think how
programs and services offered can build upon the capacities of community members as
meaningful and effective collaboration. Paradigm shifts have occurred for some of us over the
course of the two years and are a good and necessary thing.
The report was developed with the input and direction of the following:
Lorna Weigand, Doorsteps Neighbourhood Services
David Lemire and Gafira Kassam, Flemingdon Neighbourhood Services
Sahar Badawy, Flemingdon Park Parents’ Association
Kathrina Lalog and Beth Brown Flemingdon Park School Age and Family Centre, Family Day
Care Services
Raymond Peter, Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation
Sara Farrell, Toronto Public Health
For copies of this report Lorna Weigand at (416) 243-5480 or visit the following Web Site at
www.doorsteps.ca
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Community Reflections on our Resiliency Research
Contrary to common beliefs, neighbourhoods that are stigmatized by negative publicity
are home to many resilient children and families. In 2004 – 2005 staff and volunteers from
the partner groups began our “ah-ha” experience as we learned about the resiliency
framework and how it reflected our day-to-day community work experience with children
and families in our neighbourhoods. Our 2005 research looked at resiliency levels in children
ages 8 to 12 in the Chalkfarm, Daystrom and Falstaff neighbourhoods in the northwest part of
Toronto and in Flemingdon Park in the northeast. In 2006 we received additional funding to
continue our research, looking at how the resiliency factors play a role in the healthy
development of youth, ages 13 to 19. This report focuses on the study of youth in our
neighbourhoods and incorporates our findings from the first study of children ages 8 to 12.
We saw a drop in resiliency levels from the child study to the youth study (27.1 to 24.3).
This is a concern and we will continue to try to gain a better understanding of the factors that
together contribute to this drop. We appreciate the funding from United Way of Greater
Toronto Social Research Grant making this learning journey possible for us.
Why was the area of resiliency research of interest to us?
For many years community-based organizations have been working with residents in
neighbourhoods that have been described as disadvantaged, at-risk, underprivileged, needy,
vulnerable. Journalists and friends have asked if we are concerned about our own safety
when at work. Our experience in the community however, has been one of working with
ordinary families (many who are newcomers) who are seeking employment, trying to upgrade
their skills and education, looking for clean, safe places to raise their children, and focusing
on their children’s academic achievements and future success. As well as sharing the
problems, hopes and dreams common to all families, many have the added worries about
friends and relatives left behind, sometimes living in poverty in areas of world conflict. In
spite of these ongoing challenges, families continue to manage the activities of daily living
with hope, grace and dignity.
We also see unfortunately that the rates of children dropping out of school in some
pockets of the neighbourhood are higher than the city average. We hear from upset parents
about the racism their child faces from authority figures, police, security guards, teachers,
community staff and storeowners. We hear about parental resistance to having a child placed
in a Special Education program because of a lack of understanding of what this program
entails. We see high-achieving parents move or seek alternative attendance in schools outside
their neighbourhood. We see that our food club is needed. We know that some children
don’t participate in sports or music or dance because of a lack of money. We are concerned
about the lack of adequate recreational facilities in our community.
Occasionally the activities of daily life are stopped by a violent incident in the
community. The media defines the neighbourhood by these incidents and local families try to
protect their children and carry on. Over the years with increased negative images in the
news, the community children and youth feel the stigma of living in a certain neighbourhood.
A common belief is that many children and youth living in these neighbourhoods engage in
“at-risk” behaviours like bullying, drug abuse, theft, vandalism, violence, gambling, truancy
5
and are less likely to be engaged in pro-social behaviours like volunteering, music, drama or
dance, participation in a faith group or reading for pleasure than the average child of their
age. Our experience does not reflect this and we want to present an accurate picture of the
numerous strengths of children and youth in our neighbourhoods. We are interested in the
factors that help people face adverse situations, overcome them and continue a positive cycle
of working, studying and caring for families.
When a violent occurrence is reported in a neighbourhood, it is often followed by an
increase in the numbers of residents immediately moving out or questioning whether they
should move away from this ‘dangerous community’. This ongoing exodus increases the
transient nature of a neighbourhood and decreases the stability and neighbourhood
connections. Both violent incidents and the exaggeration of the problem contribute to
families not feeling ownership or pride in their neighbourhood. As community agencies, we
were interested in resiliency and wanted to know how we could support and enhance
families’ ability to overcome challenges and to build stronger, healthier communities. This
did not mean however, that we were not going to continue our quest to address the social
determinants of health and demand social justice for our communities. Resiliency helps one
to cope with challenges, but the ideal situation would be to eliminate those realities which we
know to be unhealthy and dangerous, such as a lack of income, food insecurity,
homelessness, etc.
Our interpretation of the Resiliency Framework seemed to provide an explanation of the
well-known adage “It takes a village to raise a child”. And so more questions arose for us-Are all villages equal? What creates a village atmosphere that contributes to “raising” a
healthy child? Can the resiliency framework be used as a practical tool for families, peers,
friends, neighbours, teachers, and governments to collaboratively build the kind of
village/community, which supports healthy child/youth/human development? Can the
resiliency framework help remind all of us that healthy development is multi-faceted? We
cannot isolate parents, peers, schools or neighbourhoods as individually the determinant of
resiliency levels but rather we might hypothesize that the quality of respect and interaction
between these groups is of primary importance in resiliency development. The Resiliency
Framework provides a common vocabulary for identifying and describing common goals. If
we agree that we, as a society, share a goal of enhancing resiliency in children and if we
recognize the cumulative nature of resiliency development, then we are not just willing to
support the goals of our own programmes and activities but also the goals of the others in the
“village”. For example when schools (places of formal education) provide space for
neighbourhood activities (opportunities for informal learning) where families can meet each
other and socialize, this supports the development of common community boundaries,
increases cultural awareness and also supports the parent/family engagement in school
success and learning.
Does a programme with a relationship-based approach, that builds on areas of strength,
increase an individuals ability to make positive life changes more so than a facilitator-directed
approach which focuses on identifying and correcting areas of weakness? Can you imagine
turning “Breaking the cycle of violence” grants into “Building the Cycle of Resiliency”
initiatives? The long term desired outcomes would be similar but the work would begin
from the philosophical position that the programme participants possess strengths that can be
supported and enhanced rather than weaknesses that must be expunged. For us this is just
the beginning of learning about and operating from the resiliency framework. There are
many more ideas to try and questions to explore.
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What Next?
Our initial research is complete but the dissemination of the results and the
implementation of our learnings continues. How can we create a stronger social safety net by
using the resiliency framework? How can we support a collaborative rather than competitive
approach to service design and delivery? How can we create communities fit for children?
We are taking a small step in this direction by developing a database of existing
organizations, programmes and services listed according to the specific resiliency factors that
they enhance. With the help of students from the York University Concurrent Education
programme, Doorsteps is collecting information about organizations and programmes in
Toronto that intentionally support the development of one or more of the resiliency factors.
By the end of 2007 we plan to make this information available on a Resiliency Resources
website to help increase awareness of the many established resiliency-enhancing programmes
in Toronto. We hope this database will further facilitate a collaborative approach to
providing supports for children and families. Some changes are definitely needed in the way
we, as a society, recognize and respond to the needs of children and their families. Resiliency
research has also informed us of the importance of beginning any journey of change or
improvement by looking at what is already strong and functioning well and building on these
strengths. By starting from an appreciation of the existing Resiliency Resources in Toronto,
we will all be better able to address the gaps in services to children and their families and to
expand resiliency enhancing initiatives.
Lorna Weigand
Doorsteps Neighbourhood Services
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Introduction
Although Toronto is described as a diverse and economically vibrant city, it faces some
complex community and social challenges. For example, between 1991 and 2001, there
was a 100% increase in the number of children being raised in higher poverty
neighbourhoods. A recent survey by United Way of Greater Toronto (2004) indicated
that one in three lone parents are now living and raising their families in higher poverty
neighbourhoods and that thirty percent of the total immigrant family population in the
City of Toronto now live in higher poverty neighbourhoods. Children who grow up in
poverty show almost three and one-half times the number of conduct disorders, almost
twice the rate of school problems, hyperactivity and emotional disorders as children who
are not poor (Steinhauer, P, 1996). In response to this challenge of community poverty
and its ill effects, public policy and funding has tended to focus primarily on reducing
“high risk” behaviours – such as dropping out of school, violence, substance abuse or
committing crimes – and supported programs designed to reduce these behaviours.
More recently, community agencies have embraced a more preventative direction in
programming with a focus on younger “at risk” youth with the same end in mind –
minimizing the level of engagement by youth in unhealthy and high-risk behaviours.
The traditional idea of targeting risk reduction by focusing on the development of effective
coping strategies and educational programs has strong merit in light of the research clearly
reporting that multiple forms of problem behaviour consistently appear to be predicted by
increasing exposure to identifiable risk factors (Jessor, 1993; Osgood, Jonhston, O’Malley, &
Bachman, 1989). As a result, many of the community-based studies have focused on trying
to better understand the biological/psychological or environmental risk factors that increase
the likelihood of the development or maintenance of at risk behaviour in children/youth and
the potential implications for prevention. This in turn has led to the conclusion that
community and health programs need to focus on risk reduction by helping individuals
develop more effective coping strategies and a better understanding of the limitations of
certain pathologies, problematic coping behaviours and risk factors potentially inherent in
high needs communities. However, policies and programs for youth that focus solely on
preventing specific high risk behaviour have showed little appreciable success (Benson, et.
al., 1998; Brown & Horowitz, 1993; Herman-Stahl & Petersen, 1996) They have remained
focused on the negative behaviours of children and youth in high needs communities rather
than on the potential resiliency and protective factors research clearly identifies as essential
for navigating successfully the critical developmental challenges and milestones towards
becoming healthy adults (Alvord and Grados, 2005).
Another area of research has proposed that preventative interventions should consider
protective factors along with reducing risk factors (O’Leary, 1998; Resnick, 2000).
Although not new, the concept of resiliency is generally defined as the capability of
individuals and systems (youth, families, groups, and communities) to cope with
significant adversity or stress in ways that are not only effective, but tend to result in
increased ability to contructively respond to future adversity (Lifton, 1993). As a
result, the resiliency paradigm seeks to identify protective factors or developmental
8
strengths in the lives of those who would otherwise be expected to be at risk for a
variety of adverse outcomes (Carr & Vandiver, 2001; Coie, Watt, West, Hawkins,
Asarnow, Ramey, et al., 1993; Masten, A. S., & Coatsworth, J. D. (1998); Rutter,
1987). By focusing on competence and wellness, rather than maladjustment,
resiliency investigators have identified numerous protective factors in resilient children
that buffer risk factors, decrease the likelihood of engaging in problem behaviors, and
often promote successful transition through the developmental milestones towards
adulthood (Ungar, 2003; Resnick, 2000).
Although the concept of resiliency and strength-based practice has acquired increased
attention, a brief review of the Canadian literature reveals a minimal amount of research
exploring the role of protective factors and the potential implications of a strength-based
model of preventative care provision. For the purposes of this report, the term “care
provision” or “care providers” refers to all the adults who share the responsibility for
children in our communities including parents, teachers, childcare staff, recreationists
and hopefully neighbours and the public at large. In particular, no studies to date have
focused on developing a holistic understanding of what protective factors are crucial to
children and youth experiencing healthy developmental outcomes. A lack of direction
exists as to how these essential developmental strengths can be supported and nurtured
by community members and agencies in order to enhance the resiliency of children and
youth in high needs communities, especially culturally diverse communities.
In response to this need, the United Way of Greater Toronto funded two phases of our
research project to explore and evaluate ways to best enhance resiliency in children ages
8 to 12 years (Phase One, 2005) and youth ages 13 to 19 (Phase Two, 2006) within two
culturally diverse communities that have many new immigrants, are densely populated,
and are experiencing high rates of poverty and unemployment. The project was a
collaborative initiative between community members and agencies with the goal of
evolving a better understanding of the major components that contribute to the
enhancing of resiliency and in turn, healthier developmental trajectories of children and
youth in higher poverty neighbourhoods.
This report provides:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The project context and goals
A profile of the communities
A description of the research methodology
A summary of key findings
An overview of the community debriefings
Recommendations forwarded by community members and agencies
Implications and areas for further consideration
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Resiliency Framework
The child/youth resiliency framework developed by Resiliency Canada in 2001 (Donnon &
Hammond, in press) is grounded in research on child and adolescent development in resiliency,
risk prevention, and protective factors (e.g. parental support, parental experiences, peer
relationships, community cohesiveness, commitment to learning at school, school culture,
cultural sensitivity, self-control, empowerment, self-concept, social sensitivity and empathy).
Surveys of more than 18,000 grades 3 to 12 youth in communities across the Cities of Calgary
and Toronto consistently show the importance of resiliency to refrain from risk and promote
positive behaviours. The more resiliency factors or developmental strengths young people
have, the more likely they are to make healthier choices and avoid risk-taking behaviours.
Resiliency Canada presents the developmental strengths frameworks as a viable model to
understanding the key components that contribute to the resiliency development and well-being
of children, youth and adults in our communities. The resiliency factors/developmental
strengths represent fundamental elements found to be essential for all children/youth to cope
effectively with life’s challenges and to become productive, responsible adults in society.
Based on this research, and the literature on resiliency and youth development, the 31
Developmental Strengths Framework, identifies the protective factors that encourage and
enhance the well-being and development of all youth in our communities.
In a review of the literature and research on the development of resiliency, stress-resistant or
“less vulnerable” children and youth have common resiliency factors operating as two broad
sets of developmental strengths which encourage and support the coping skills of children and
youth:
•
•
extrinsic factors such as a supportive family, positive peers, school and community, and
intrinsic factors or personality characteristics such as empowerment, self-control, cultural
sensitivity, self-concept and social sensitivity.
The additive effects of both intrinsic and extrinsic strengths have shown that children and youth
with a greater number of developmental strengths are able to cope with challenges more
effectively than those that have only a few of the developmental strengths.
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The 31 Developmental Strengths Framework shown below illustrates a
comprehensive and holistic approach to understanding the resiliency factors that contribute to
human development. The diagram depicts the extrinsic (outer circle) and intrinsic (inner circle)
strengths related to child/youth resiliency.
Child/Youth Developmental Strengths Resiliency Framework
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Resiliency
Factors
31 Developmental Strengths and Descriptions
Extrinsic Factors
Family Support 1. Caring Family: Family provides a nurturing, caring, loving home environment
and Expectations 2. Family Communication: Child communicates with family openly about issues/concerns
3. Adult Family Members As Role Models: Family provides responsible role models
4. Family Support: Family provides trust, support, and encouragement regularly
5. Parental Involvement in Schooling: Family members are active in providing help/support
6. High Expectations: Family encourages youth to set goals and do the best he/she can
Peer
Relationships
Commitment to
Learning at
School
School Culture
7. Positive Peer Relationships: Friendships are respectful and viewed positively by adults
8. Positive Peer Influence: Friendships are trustworthy and based on positive outcomes
9. Achievement: Child/youth works hard to do well and get the best grades in school
10. School Engagement: Youth is interested in learning and working hard in the classroom
11. School Work: Youth works hard to complete homework and assignments on time
12. School Boundaries: School has clear rules and expectations for appropriate behaviours
13. Bonding to School: Child/youth cares about and feels safe at school
14. Caring School Climate: School environment and teachers provides a caring climate
15. High Expectations: School/Teacher encourages goal setting and to do the best they can
Community
Cohesiveness
16. Caring Neighbourhood: Youth lives in a caring and friendly neighbourhood
17. Community Values Youth: Adults in the community respect youth and their opinions
18. Adult Relationships: Adults try to get to know the youth and are viewed as trustworthy
19. Neighbourhood Boundaries: Neighbours have clear expectations for youth
Intrinsic Factors
Empowerment
Self Control
Self-Concept
Cultural
Sensitivity
20. Safety: Child/youth feels safe and in control of his/her immediate environments
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
Restraint: Believes that it is important for him/her to restrain from the use of substances
Resistance Skills: Is able to avoid or say “no” to people who may place him/her at-risk
Planning and Decision Making: Is capable of making purposeful plans for the future
Self-Efficacy: Child/youth believes in his/her ability to do many different things well
Self-Esteem: Youth feels positive about his/her self and future
Cultural Awareness: Youth has a good understanding and interest in other cultures
Acceptance: Youth respects others beliefs and is pleased about cultural diversity
28. Spirituality: Youth has strong spiritual beliefs/values that play an important role in life
Social
Sensitivity
29. Equity & Social Justice: Believes in equality and that it is important to be fair to others
30. Empathy: Child/youth empathizes with others and cares about other people’s feelings
31. Caring: Child/youth is concerned about and believes it is important to help others
References to child, youth or child/youth are applicable to all children between ages 6 and 19
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Extrinsic Components that Contribute to Child/Youth Resiliency Development
The extrinsic resiliency factors that contribute to the protective elements of child resiliency and
the establishment of developmental strengths are family, peers, school and community.
Therefore, to nurture and enhance resiliency development in our children requires a collaborative
effort indeed a co-partnership, of agencies, organizations, municipalities and provincial/federal
governments with children, families, schools and communities.
Importance of Family-Support and Expectations
The family resiliency factor consists of six developmental strengths, that act as protective
elements and lead to positive child development. Resiliency develops when a child has a caring
family, effective family communication, adult family members as positive role models, strong
family support as well as parental involvement in school and a caregiver’s establishment of high
yet achievable expectations.
Community
Family
Neighbourhood Caring
Boundaries Family
Family
Community
Communication
Values Children
Adult Family Members As
Adult
Role Models
Relationships
Caring
Neighbourhood
Family Support
Parental Involvement in
Schooling
High Expectations
School
High Expectations
Parents
Bonding to
School
Positive Peer
Relationships
Caring School
Climate
School
Boundaries
School
School
Work
Positive
Peer Influence
Achievement
School
Engagement
Peers
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Importance of Peer Relationships
With the onset of later childhood and the greater expectations that come with this stage in their
development, children and youth tend to connect with peers to help them in the development of
their own individual personality. Positive peer relationships and positive peer influence
contribute to positive child development
Importance of School
An integral part of most children’s development is determined by the commitment of time and
effort they place in our schools to becoming well-educated and socially responsible individuals.
Clear school boundaries, a caring school climate, bonding to school, and high expectations create
a strong, protective school environment that leads to positive child development. In addition, the
commitment to learning at school provides an indication of a child’s commitment to engage in
his/her school, achieve his/her aspirations and complete his/her school work (related activities
and assignments).
Importance of Community
Of the protective factors that contribute to child resiliency development, community-based
strengths receive the least attention and, subsequently, are one of children’s greatest need for
action. Although targeted specific interventions tend to focus on intrinsic, family, or schoolrelated issues, the community-related factor is well represented in the literature as essential to the
development of resiliency strengths. Correspondingly, the community service sectors have
generally demonstrated that they are more flexible to responding to the needs of children through
various services and programs. The community-based resiliency factor consists of four
developmental strengths: a caring neighbourhood, positive adult relationships, a community that
values and respects children, and neighbours who have clear expectations and boundaries for
children.
The extrinsic resiliency factors shown above are important components of the child and youth
resiliency framework and have been found to play essential roles in the formation of children’s
developmental strengths. In a review of the literature and research on resiliency, children that
have caring families, positive peer relationships, supportive schools and compassionate
communities, tend to cope with adversity and challenges more effectively than children and
youth that do not have these strengths. Children draw on the extrinsic strengths they encounter in
their daily lives to overcome hardship and participate in positive and healthy lifestyles choices.
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Intrinsic Components that Contribute to Child/Youth Resiliency Development
The intrinsic factors that contribute to the protective elements and the child and youth resiliency
developmental strengths framework are empowerment, self-control, self-concept, cultural
sensitivity and social sensitivity.
Importance of Empowerment
Empowerment of children is related to having a sense of safety (i.e., a non-threatening
environment) that is connected to, a large degree to having a feeling of control over their destiny.
Importance of Self-Control
Children that have been found to have restraint and resistant skills are less likely to participate in
at-risk behaviours and are more capable of avoiding trouble or saying “no” to adversity.
Importance of Self-Concept
The self-concept resiliency factor provides insights into children’s planning and decision-making
skills, beliefs about their own abilities (self-efficacy) and sense of purpose (self-esteem).
Importance of Cultural Sensitivity
With the diversity of cultures that exist in our communities and the easy access to information
about all peoples through telecommunication networks, cultural awareness, acceptance and
spirituality have become important components of child resiliency.
Importance of Social Sensitivity
Part of the fundamental values and beliefs we share in our communities and society as a whole
are that we are caring of others, have empathy for those around us, and believe in the importance
of equality and social justice for all.
Empowerment
Caring
Social
Sensitivity
Empathy
Safety
Restraint
Resistance
Skills
Equity &
Social Justice
Planning &
DecisionMaking
Spirituality
Acceptance
Cultural
Aw areness
Cultural Sensitivity
Self-Control
Self-Efficacy
Self-Esteem
Self-Concept
It is important to note that the development of intrinsic resiliency factors will depend largely on
the extrinsic-related strengths that children experience in their day-to-day routines. As such, the
strength of the intrinsic factors will be influenced by the degree of support and quality of
relationships children have with family, peers, teachers and staff in schools, and the community
at large.
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Project Context and Goal
Those who embrace a strength-based perspective hold the belief that children, youth, and
their families have strengths, resources and the ability to recover from adversity (as opposed
to emphasizing problems, vulnerabilities, and deficits). A strength-based paradigm offers a
different language to describe children’s and families’ difficulties and struggles. It allows
one to see opportunities, hope and solutions rather than just problems and hopelessness. The
new paradigm avoids labelling and assumes power in children and families to help
themselves as well as casting service providers as partners rather than as experts, authorities,
initiators and directors of the change process.
Enhancing resiliency is about strengthening relationships and placing an emphasis
upon capacities, competencies, and resources that exist within and outside the child,
youth, family, or community. We believe that all people and communities have
resources and that all children and youth have the urge to succeed, to explore the
world around them, and to contribute to their communities.
Strength-based practice embraces empowerment as a process and a goal and collaborates
with children, families, and other community organizations in the reclaiming process.
Embracing a strength-based practice to enhance resiliency in a community does not mean
ignoring broader systemic issues such as unemployment, poverty, crime etc., but rather
places front-line staff in the position of walking beside the community, acting as a co-partner
to address these adversities.
Working from a strength-based perspective, the project partners embraced a developmental
strengths framework and resiliency assessment protocol as a viable model to determine the
major components that contribute to the enhancing of resiliency and in turn, healthier
developmental trajectories of children in higher poverty neighbourhoods. Based upon the
quantitative and qualitative learning from the two phases of the project achieved from
assessing the resiliency of the participating children (ages 8 to 12 in phase one) and youth
(ages 13 to 19 in phase two) as well as the subsequent consultations with their families,
agencies, and organizations in the participating communities, the overall project goal was to
examine the following questions:
1. What are the resiliency and protective factors that allow children and youth living
in multicultural “high needs”, “at risk” neighbourhoods to achieve optimal growth
and development? Relatedly, what are some of the specific resiliency factors that if
missing, potentially place these children/youth at risk for coping in ways that are
high-risk and lead to a unhealthy behaviours? What patterns or trends happen in
the development of resiliency as compared to the normal growth and development
patterns of children 8-12 to youth 13-19?
2. Based upon the resiliency profiles and feedback from the focus groups with the
children/youth, parents and program providers, as well as the normal growth and
development milestones, what are the specific strength-based interventions that
support the development of resiliency in children and youth? Also, what strategies
enhance resiliency at the 8 to 19 years that can be utilized at other developmental
stages of youth transitioning towards adulthood.
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3. How can community agencies enhance resiliency in children, youth, their families
and the community at large? If resiliency can be enhanced in children and youth,
how could resources be more appropriately delivered by the community as a whole
in a collaborative manner to children and youth in order to nurture the appropriate
protective factors which in turn, increase the chances of creating a pattern for
optimal growth and development?
Methodology
This study is based upon the findings of a resiliency survey administered to 422 children
between the ages of 8-12 years (phase one) in the spring of 2005 and 525 youth between the
ages of 13 to 19 years (phase two) in the spring of 2006 in two communities in the city of
Toronto: north east (Flemingdon Park) and north west (Chalkfarm, Falstaff, Daystrom, and
Gracedale). The study also incorporates the qualitative responses gathered from the
subsequent debriefings of the survey data and focus groups that were held with the subjects
in the study, their families, and participating community agencies: Doorsteps
Neighbourhood Services, Flemingdon Neighbourhood Services, Flemingdon Park Parents
Association, Family Day Care Services-Flemingdon Park School Age and Family Centre
,Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation and Toronto Public Health.
Flemingdon Park characteristics:
Flemingdon Park is a small geographical neighbourhood with a current population of
approximately 35,000 people. It is a high density, high mobility area with 58% rented
dwellings (many are occupied by more than one family). The average income is $45,000
despite 28% having higher education (this is a community with many foreign trained
professionals); 73% of residents are foreign-born, coming predominantly from the
Philippines, India, China, Bangaldesh, Pakistan, and recently Afghanistan and old Soviet
block countries. Twenty-nine per cent are lone parent families. (Data collected from Ward
Community Profiles 2003, Early Years Action Group, Toronto, North Quadrant). Thjs is a
designated ‘priority neighbourhood’ by both United Way of Toronto and the City of
Toronto due to its high rates and depth of poverty and fewer resources.
Chalkfarm, Falstaff, Daystrom and Gracedale characteristics:
The Jane/Finch area is also a designated ‘priority neighbourhood’ and one that includes
Daystrom and Gracedale. For the purposes of this study, Chalkfarm and Falstaff were
included and are similar in nature to the above. All of these communities, like Flemingdon,
are high density, high mobility with high rates and depth of poverty. The average income is
$45,000, 58% live in rented dwellings and there is a high percentage of lone-parent families
and a high low birth weight rate. Over 64% of residents are foreign-born: Italian,
Caribbean, Spanish, Vietnamese and other various Asian and African countries. This
neighbourhood has very low education levels (13% with a university degree or more
compared to 27% for rest of Toronto, 30% for North York),
17
Total Sample
Number of Participants
Children
Youth
Total
East Community
West Community
Flemingdon
Chalkfarm, Falstaff, Daystrom,
Gracedale
Sex
Boy/Male
Girl/Female
(Missing)
Percentage
422
525
947
44.6
55.4
100
Child
186
236
Youth
250
275
Child Youth
44.1
47.6
55.9
52.4
Child
198
181
(43)
Youth
266
224
(35)
Child Youth
46.9
50.7
42.9
42.7
(10.2) (6.6)
Age
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
(missing)
84
112
95
70
61
90
94
81
55
53
94
54
(4)
8.9
11.8
10.0
7.4
6.4
9.5
9.9
8.6
5.8
5.6
9.9
5.7
(.4)
Grade
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Graduated
(Missing)
109
114
87
112
6
105
100
56
47
131
9
71
11.5
12.0
9.2
11.8
.6
11.0
10.6
5.9
5.0
13.8
1.0
7.5
18
Information sessions, consent forms and a letter describing the purpose of the study were
distributed to the parents in the target communities obtaining their informed consent prior to
their children’s and youth’s participation in the study. Children and youth in the study
completed the Child/Youth Resiliency: Assessing Developmental Strengths questionnaires
(C/YR:ADS – See Appendix A) with the help of trained community agency and public health
staff and community volunteers in a quiet, controlled public venue. The resiliency
questionnaire is answered from the participant’s viewpoint and assesses their developmental
strengths and protective factors in a holistic manner. The C/YR:ADS is a multiple-item pencil
and paper questionnaire which consists of three separate sections: 1) 96 of the items are used to
measure the 31 development strengths associated with the 11 factor framework, 2) 32 items are
used to measure frequencies that are considered to reflect potentially risk-oriented (i.e.,
substance abuse, antisocial behaviour,…) and pro-social behaviours (i.e., success in school,
values diversity, maintains good health, exhibits leadership,…), and 3) several questions that
are related to demographic variables (i.e., school/community, gender, age, grade, family setting,
language, mother’s/father’s level of education, cultural background, and knowledge and use of
community resources).
The responses from the completed resiliency questionnaires collected in this project were
compiled and analysed by Resiliency Canada. The results were presented in two (child
and youth version) overall aggregated resiliency reports that have both practical and
clinical applications for development of protective factors at the individual, family, and
community level. For detailed child and youth aggregated reports, see Appendix B.
The results of the overall aggregated resiliency report were presented in debriefing
sessions involving the participating children/youth and their families (children were in one
focus group, parents in another) as well as the community organizations. As part of the
data collection protocol, responses to the resiliency survey results (child and youth
versions) were collected along with recommendations and next step suggestions for the
final summary report. Based upon the results, the partners have begun to examine current
community programs and resources in consultation with community members with
discussions focusing on what agencies could do to meaningfully strengthen and maintain
resiliency in children, families and communities. Recommendations, based on the analysis
and feedback sessions, were drafted by the participating research partners, and received
community feedback and endorsement. There is a commitment from the partners to
continue to work as copartners with local schools, parents and children to develop
informed and best practice models of how to best build and enhance resiliency for our
children and for our communities.
With regards to ethical considerations, participation in this study was entirely voluntary
and based upon informed consent. Informed consent consisted of the subject and
parent/guardian receiving a consent form outlining the objectives and nature of the study,
the limits of confidentiality and the voluntary nature of participation. All participating
children and youth received a honorarium consisting of twenty dollars (parents received
this for their children, while the youth received the money directly) with the children in the
phase one also, receiving a dictionary generously donated by Frontier College. This study
did not involve physically invasive procedures or purposes hidden from the participants.
All reports generated were in an aggregate format and no specific identification of
participants occurred. All staff and volunteers who assisted in the administration of the
questionnaire and the feedback sessions with children underwent a police security check.
19
Summary of Key Findings
The comprehensive resiliency reports (See Appendix B) provide a look at the resiliency factors
and developmental strengths that contribute to the health and well-being of the children and
youth in the current study. As opposed to the problem-focused approach of dealing with specific
at-risk behaviours, the resiliency questionnaire (Child/Youth Resiliency: Assessing
Developmental Strengths – C/YR:ADS) provides a statistically sound and research-based
approach to understanding the strengths that are related to long-term resiliency. This project
assessed the resiliency factors and intrinsic/extrinsic developmental strengths in 422 children
ages 8 to 12 and 525 youth ages 13 to 19 with the research highlights as follow:
Table One:
Average Number of Child Developmental Strengths: 27.1 of 31
Number of
Developmental Strengths
Vulnerable
Moderate
Strong
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
00 – 05
1
0.2
0.2
0.2
06 – 10
3
0.7
0.7
0.9
11 – 15
7
1.7
1.7
2.6
16 – 20
28
6.6
6.6
9.2
21 – 25
70
16.6
16.6
25.8
26 – 31
313
74.2
74.2
Total
422
100.0
100.0
100.0
Average Number of Youth Developmental Strengths: 24.3 of 31
Number of
Developmental Strengths
Vulnerable
Moderate
Strong
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
00 – 05
12
2.3
2.3
2.3
06 – 10
10
1.9
1.9
4.2
11 – 15
40
7.6
7.6
11.8
16 – 20
67
12.8
12.8
24.6
21 – 25
109
20.8
20.8
45.3
26 – 31
287
54.7
54.7
Total
525
100.0
100.0
100.0
20
Percent
80.0
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
74.2
54.7
youth
child
2.3 0.2
1.9 0.7
00-05
06-10
7.6
12.8
1.7
11-15
20.8
16.6
6.6
16-20
21-25
26-31
Developmental Strengths Categories
Table One: Child
•
The overall average number of developmental strengths the 422 children reported was
higher than the average in other Canadian communities – 27.1 versus the national average
of 22 based on an N = 18,000).
•
The percentage of children considered to be vulnerable was only 9.2% with 16.6%
indicating moderately strong resiliency and 74.2 % demonstrating significantly strong
resiliency.
Table One: Youth
•
The overall average number of developmental strengths the 525 youth reported was
higher than the average in other Canadian communities – 24.3 versus the national average
of 19 based on an N = 15,000).
•
The percentage of youth considered to be vulnerable was only 24.6% with 20.8%
indicating moderately strong resiliency and 54.7 % demonstrating significantly strong
resiliency. These results also indicate a moderately higher degree of strong resiliency and
lower vulnerability than the national trends for youth.
Table Two: Extrinsic Strengths of Children and Youth: Response Percentages of
Children/Youth Claiming to Have the Developmental Strength
21
Developmental Strengths
Extrinsic Developmental Strengths
Caring Family
Family Communication
Family as Role Models
Family Support
Parent Involvement in School
Parent Expectations
Positive Peer Relationships
Postive Peer Influence
Achievement
School Engagement
Homework
School Boundaries
Bonding to School
Caring School
School Expectations
Caring Neighbourhood
Community Values Children
Adult Relationships
Neighbourhood Boundaries
82
88
88
88
69
66
70
0
20
40
74
60
97
92
95
95
94
97
99
97
94
92
96
80
100
Percent
Percentage of Children
Developmental Strengths
Extrinsic Developmental Strengths
73
Caring Family
Family Communication
Family as Role Models
Family Support
Parent Involvement in School
Parent Expectations
Positive Peer Relationships
Postive Peer Influence
Achievement
School Engagement
Homework
School Boundaries
Bonding to School
Caring School
School Expectations
Caring Neighbourhood
Community Values Children
Adult Relationships
Neighbourhood Boundaries
74
78
75
79
93
79
68
84
84
73
50
0
20
40
73
56
60
79
90
89
79
71
80
100
Percent
Percentage of Youth
22
Table Two: Child
•
The responses overall showed a high percentage of children who indicated they have
perceptions of strong resiliency in all the developmental strengths related to the extrinsic
resiliency factors except in the resiliency factor of “Community”. In particular the family
and school factors and related developmental strengths present as strongly established.
•
Although the responses indicated clear strengths throughout the grades in the development
of “Positive Peer Relationships”, it should be noted that the development of “Positive Peer
Influences” is moderately lower overall with the lowest percentage by grade 6 (See
Appendix B: Child and Youth Comprehensive Aggregated Resiliency Reports).
•
Responses in the resiliency factor of “Community” were relatively lower in all of the four
developmental strengths – “Caring Neighbourhood”, “Community Values Children”,
“Adult Relationships”, and “Neighbourhood Boundaries”.
Table Two: Youth
•
The responses by the youth showed a slight decrease in their perception of being resilient
in many of the developmental strengths in the resiliency factors of “Family”, “Peers”, and
“School” with “Community” continuing to be the least resilient factor. It should be noted
that the developmental strength of “High Expectations of Parents” and “Achievement”
continued to be perceived as strong protective factors.
•
A clear trend was evidenced where the scores on certain extrinsic developmental strengths
start to decrease in grade 9 (grade 8 for some “Community” factors) with the lowest scores
reported in grades 10 and/or 11 and then the scores often increasing slightly in grade 12
(See Appendix B: p. 12 of Child and p. 19 of Youth Comprehensive Aggregated
Resiliency Reports). It would appear that certain youth were reporting an increasing
vulnerability of external resiliency and potentially making decisions to drop out of school
in grades 10 and 11. Because these youth dropped out of school, their lower scores would
not be reflected and therefore, the grade 12 aggregated score was reflecting a different
youth population who were reflecting a greater degree of external resiliency. This trend
was clearly evident in the following extrinsic developmental strengths:
•
Caring Family
• High Expectations – School
•
Family Communication
• Caring Neighbourhood
•
Parental Involvement in Education • Community Values Youth
•
School Engagement
• Adult Relationships
•
School Related
Assignments/Homework
• Neighbourhood Boundaries
•
Bonding to School
Caring School
Environment
Responses in the resiliency factor of “Community” were relatively lower in all of the four
developmental strengths – “Caring Neighbourhood”, “Community Values Children”,
“Adult Relationships”, and “Neighbourhood Boundaries”.
•
•
23
Table Three: Intrinsic Strengths of Child and Youth: Response Percentages of
Children/Youth Claiming to Have the Developmental Strength
Developmental Strengths
Intrinsic Developmental Strengths
66
Cultural Awareness
Acceptance
Spirituality
Restraint
Resistance Skills
Safety
Planning and Decision
Self-Efficacy
Self-Esteem
Empathy
Caring
Equity and Social Justice
81
75
80
0
20
40
60
80
89
90
94
95
92
89
92
93
100
Percent
Percentage of Children
Developmental Strengths
Intrinsic Developmental Strengths
87
Cultural Awareness
Acceptance
Spirituality
Restraint
Resistance Skills
Safety
Planning and Decision
Self-Efficacy
Self-Esteem
Empathy
Caring
Equity and Social Justice
69
73
0
20
40
60
94
83
84
81
80
94
87
87
96
93
100
120
Percent
Percentage of Youth
24
Table Three: Child
•
Responses in the area of intrinsic resiliency factors indicated high percentages of children
having a strong perception of protective strengths in the following resiliency factors and
related developmental strengths: “Acceptance”, “Spirituality”, “Restraint”, “Resistance
Skills”, “Self-Control”, Self-Concept”, and Social Sensitivity”.
•
Within the resiliency factor of “Cultural Sensitivity”, the developmental strength of
“Spirituality” was presented as a strong strength with “Acceptance” being perceived as
slightly less in strength and “Cultural Awareness” as digressing significantly as the grade
level increased (see page 15 on comprehensive report).
•
Although not a significant vulnerability, the responses by the children in general reflect a
concern about their sense of safety as reflected in the scores on the developmental
strength of “Safety” in the resiliency factor of “Empowerment” ( see page 15 on the Child
Comprehensive Report in Appendix B).
Table Three: Youth
•
Responses in the area of intrinsic resiliency factors continued to indicate high percentages
of youth having a strong perception of protective strengths in the following resiliency
factors: Cultural Sensitivity”, “Self-Control”, Self-Concept”, and Social Sensitivity”.
This may reflect the strong influence of the family and school resiliency factors and their
strong emphasis on values and character development. These responses indicate an
overall strong internal sense of resiliency that lays a strong basis for effective connecting
to external resources and healthy coping. It should be noted that the youth indicated a
concern in the developmental strength of “Safety” with the lowest scores being reported
in grades 10 and 11 (see page 26 of the Youth Comprehensive Report in Appendix B).
•
Within the resiliency factor of “Social Sensitivity”, the developmental strength of
“Empathy” was presented by the youth as a lower strength in comparison to the other two
developmental strengths of “Caring” and Equity and Social Justice” (see page 26 of the
Youth Comprehensive Report in Appendix B).
25
Table Four: Outcome Indicators Developed by Community Partners
Outcome indicators
Percent
Gender
Grade
Total
M
F
8
9
Positive Mentor Relationship
79
76
82
80
77
Community Resourcing
82
81
83
89
Cultural Appreciation
87
86
89
Cultural Comfort
83
83
Cultural Tension
82
82
10
11
12
83
79
79
81
86
83
78
84
74
75
83
81
83
91
81
86
89
90
82
78
73
69
79
66
Table Four: Youth
As part of the evaluation protocol, the community partners created several questions to evaluate
the youth’s perception in the areas of receptiveness to mentors, knowledge and usefulness of
community resources and cultural related experiences and perceptions. The results indicated that
the youth were very receptive to experiencing mentoring relationships and seeing them as
valuable influences. The youth presented as very knowledgeable about what community
resources were available and how to access them. With regards to cultural issues, the responses
by the youth indicated a fairly strong appreciation towards and comfort with different cultural
beliefs with the experience of cultural tensions being somewhat of an issue in grades 9 to 12.
26
Table Five: The Importance of Resiliency/Strengths and Restraining from At-Risk
Behaviours
The chart below shows how important resiliency factors/strengths are to children/youth in
helping them to restrain from risk-taking behaviours. The research consistently demonstrates
that children and youth with higher resiliency factors and developmental strengths are less likely
to be involved with a number of risk-taking activities. The average number of 12 risk-taking
behaviours from all children and youth surveyed are grouped by three strength categories: 0 –
20 strengths (vulnerable), 21 – 25 strengths (moderate), and 26 – 31 strengths (strong).
6.0
5.4
Average Number of
Risk Behaviours
5.0
4.0
3.1
3.0
3.4
2.9
2.1
2.0
1.6
youth
child
1.0
0.0
vulnerable
00-20
moderate
21-25
strong
26-31
Developmental Strength Categories
•
The responses from the questionnaires demonstrate that children and youth who report
a higher number of resiliency factors and developmental strengths are less likely to be
involved with a number of risk taking behaviours. Children who reported having 26
or more developmental strengths tended to engage in 1.6 of a potential 10 high-risk
behaviours versus those children who reported 20 and less of the developmental
strengths engaging on average 3.1 in high-risk behaviours. Youth who reported
having 26 or more developmental strengths tended to engage in 2.9 of a potential 12
high-risk behaviours versus those youth who reported 20 and less of the
developmental strengths engaging on average 5.4 in high-risk behaviours. This would
indicate that children and youth with 20 or less developmental strengths are at double
the risk of engaging in high-risk behaviours than those children and youth with 26 or
more developmental strengths.
•
The children and youth who reported having 21 to 25 of the developmental strengths
were only at a slightly greater level of engaging in risk behaviours than those children
and youth who reported having 26 or more of the developmental strengths.
27
•
The high-risk behaviours that presented for children as areas of concern were:
Risk Behaviour
% of Children (n = 422)
1) Gambling or playing the lottery
2) Vandalism
3) Bullying
4) Violence
5) Avoidance (watching too much TV)
6) Bullied (has been picked on or bullied)
7) Truancy
•
Engaging
10%
14%
18%
20%
41%
45%
19%
Not Engaging
90%
86%
82%
80%
59%
55%
81%
The high-risk behaviours that presented for youth as areas of concern were:
Risk Behaviour
% of Youth (n = 525)
1) Gambling or playing the lottery
2) Vandalism
3) Bullying
4) Violence
5) Avoidance (watching too much TV)
6) Bullied (has been picked on or bullied)
7) Truancy
8) Cigarette use
9) Alcohol use
10) Marijuana use
11) Theft
12) Concealed item to protect oneself
Engaging
22%
22%
24%
20%
41%
45%
19%
18%
24%
18%
24%
19%
Not Engaging
78%
78%
76%
80%
59%
55%
81%
82%
76%
82%
76%
81%
28
Table Six: The Importance of Resiliency/Strengths and the Promotion of
Positive/Constructive Behaviours
The chart below shows how important resiliency factors/strengths are to children in helping
them to engage in positive and constructive behaviours. The research consistently demonstrates
that children with a greater number of resiliency factors and developmental strengths are more
likely to be involved with a number of positive and constructive activities. The average number
of 14 positive behaviours from all children and youth surveyed are grouped by three strength
categories (0 – 20, 21 – 25, and 26 – 31).
Average Number of
Positive Behaviours
12.0
10.5
10.0
8.0
6.0
7.8
5.8
8.9
6.8
7.9
youth
child
4.0
2.0
0.0
vulnerable
00-20
moderate
21-25
strong
26-31
Developmental Strengths Categories
•
The differences of degree of engagement in positive and constructive behaviours in
general are not strongly significant between those children and youth reporting having 20
or less (vulnerable), 21 to 25 (moderate) and 26 or more (strong) of the developmental
strengths. However, the chart does demonstrate that there is a trend that as resiliency
increases so does greater engagement in positive and constructive behaviours.
•
The results indicate that even those children and youth demonstrating vulnerable and
moderate resiliency do engage in some degree of pro-social behaviours
•
When the individual pro-social behaviours were examined, several areas revealed a
significant difference in degree of engagement. Children and youth (although slightly
lower than the children) with 26 or more developmental strengths were twice as likely to
engage in pro-social behaviours involving music, drama, art, dance, reading for pleasure
and having an interest and understanding of other cultures, than those with 20 or less.
Those children with 21 to 25 developmental strengths were slightly more inclined to
engage in these positive behaviours than those with 20 or less.
•
The pro-social behaviours that presented with strong engagement were as follows:
29
Pro-Social Behaviour
% of Children (n = 422)
1) Volunteerism
2) Exercise Daily
3) Attends religious/faith activities
4) Persistence
5) Healthy Diet
6) Does Homework – 3 or more hrs/week
Pro-Social Behaviour
Engaging
83%
72%
68%
80%
80%
67%
Not Engaging
17%
28%
32%
20%
20%
33%
% of Youth (n = 525)
1) Volunteerism
2) Exercise Daily
3) Attends religious/faith activities
4) Persistence
5) Creativity
6) Does Homework – 3 or more hrs/week
Engaging
67%
88%
73%
68%
67%
61%
Not Engaging
33%
12%
27%
32%
33%
39%
Overall, the results of the study clearly indicate that a significant percentage (Child - 90.8% and
Youth – 75.5%) of the participants in the study reported having strong intrinsic and extrinsic
resiliency and therefore, the ability to cope constructively with life challenges. The role of
family, school and culture were highlighted as significant protective factors and supports that are
crucial to the enhancing of resiliency. It would also appear that youth are looking for and are
receptive to the influence and role of mentors which is consistent with optimal growth and
development tasks for this age. Areas of concern included issues of safety, bullying, violence,
alcohol use (for youth) cultural isolation and disconnect from community as well as the lack of
opportunities to exercise in the community, perception of poor academic ability, lower
participation in reading for pleasure and in addition for youth - healthy diet and leadership
opportunities. However, the results indicated that even those children and youth who presented
as vulnerable (reporting 20 or less developmental strengths) are still engaged in a significant
number of positive and constructive behaviours as compared to the moderately and strongly
resilient children. Strategic targeting of this vulnerable group (especially during middle years specifically grades 4 and 5 in the extrinsic factors) with strength-based interventions in order to
enhance their level of resiliency would decrease the likelihood of these vulnerable youth
engaging in problem behaviours during the teenage years and promote their successful transition
through the developmental milestones towards adulthood. It is important to note that is not a
simple concept. It is not some characteristics that a child/youth do or do not possess. Rather,
resiliency must be seen as a complex, dynamic interplay between internal and external
developmental strengths. As a result, resiliency is an evolving and fluid process that needs
continual nurturing and support through out the developmental growth of children and youth.
Assumptions should not be made that just because a child copes effectively during one
developmental stage that he/she will automatically reflect the same degree of resiliency when
faced with the challenges of the next developmental stage. Continuous nurturing, mentoring and
affirmation of one’s potential should be the signature traits of those “human systems” (school,
family, community and supporting agencies) connected to all children and youth throughout their
transition towards adulthood.
30
Summary of Community Debriefings
The active role of community members involved in both phases of the project through the
administration of the survey, the interpretation of the results and the development of the
recommendations is unique. As part of that participatory process, the results of the survey
were presented (see table 7) to the participating children, parents and community agencies.
Table Seven: Summary of Findings Presented for Feedback
1. Overall, the children and youth in the study demonstrated greater resiliency
on average than the normed Canadian average for similar aged children (27.1
versus 22 out of 31 developmental strengths) and youth 24.3 versus 19 out of
31 developmental strengths).
2. The number of children who presented as vulnerable (9.2%) was significantly
less than those who reported moderate to significant resiliency (90.8%). For
the youth, the number who presented as vulnerable (24.6%) was still clearly
less than those who reported moderate to significant resiliency (75.4%).
These statistics present a very different perception of the health and potential
strengths of the children and youth as opposed to the high risk labels being
placed upon the communities. The large percentage of children reporting
strong intrinsic and extrinsic developmental strengths indicates a well
established protective basis for supporting a positive trajectory towards the
next developmental milestones and reveals a natural resource(s) (including
caregivers and school factors) within the community that could be utilized for
supporting current and future community capacity building.
3. It was noted that the number of participants demonstrating a greater degree of
vulnerability did increase with the age of the participants in the survey and that the
participants who do present with vulnerable resiliency (those with less than 20
developmental traits), often start reflecting lower scores in certain developmental
strengths (especially relationship based extrinsic strengths) during the middle years
and which then find their fullest expression during the teenage years. This trend
was evidenced in the intrinsic developmental strengths of “Safety” and “Empathy”
(youth talked about how a lack of connection to external adult relationships
reflected a greater degree of feeling unsafe and need to focus on personal survival)
as well as the following extrinsic developmental strengths:
1.
Caring Family
7. Caring School Environment
2.
Family Communication
8. High Expectations - School
3.
Parental Involvement in Education
9. Caring Neighbourhood
4.
School Engagement
10. Community Values Youth
5.
School Related Assignments/Homework 11. Adult Relationships
6.
Bonding to School
12. Neighbourhood Boundaries
31
It was pointed out that identifying children, versus youth, who are becoming
vulnerable in their resiliency (especially the external factors) and enhancing
their resiliency through a comprehensive, integrated approach based on
building meaningful relationships was a more proactive and preventative way
of minimizing future challenges. It is important however, to remember that
resiliency can and must be enhanced throughout the lifespan.
4. Another trend discussed was the strong disconnect between children/youth
and the resiliency factor “Community” (especially in the developmental
strengths of “Community Values Youth” and “Adult Relationships”) where
the scores start to decrease in grade 5 with the lowest scores in grades 10
and/or 11 with scores often increasing slightly in grade 12 (See Appendix B:
Child and Youth Comprehensive Aggregated Resiliency Reports). The
children and youth reported lower scores around their perception of living in
a friendly and caring community as a protective strength. They indicated less
of a view that the community they live in as friendly and values their opinion.
They do not fully accept that adults in the community want to get to know
them and perceive them as trustworthy.
5. The role of family, school and culture were vital in the enhancing and
development of resiliency for children and youth in this survey. The
relationships nurtured and support offered by the parents and school staff
played an essential role in the reported strong resiliency in the children and
youth at all developmental stages. It should be noted that the role of culture
also played a role in the enhancement of the resiliency of children and youth,
but not to the same degree as the resiliency factors of family and school. The
strong cultural ideals embraced by immigrant families reflect a determination
and support of the role and importance of school, commitment to and valuing
of family, and support of social value development as well as the respect of
tradition. However, it would appear that some of the cultural concepts that
support the nurturing of resiliency may create cultural isolation in that sharing
of traditions, values and beliefs between cultures are limited. It was also
noted that the role of parents in continuing to support the nurturing of
resiliency in their children during the teenage years can be challenging. The
challenges present themselves from not only a cultural and generational
perspective (e.g., parents needing to know how to guide their children in
navigating two cultures – the one they grew up in as teens and that their
family embraces now, and the mainstream culture of youth in society), but in
the parents’ ability to support their children’s academic growth (e.g., to what
degree they can support the ongoing educational requirements and demands
of their children – helping out with homework).
6. The responses by children and youth both indicated that they struggle with
their sense of safety in the community which was supported by a high score
on the risk factor of being bullied. The children and youth also indicated that
the activities of their friends were not always positive and that they were
limited in their awareness of the values and beliefs of other cultures.
32
The discussion about the survey results from the debriefings were collected and
included the following:
Children/Youth:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Indicated they know that they have a lot of potential and were optimistic about
their future.
Affirmed that their family and school interactions played an important role in
nurturing their ability to be positive and hopeful about the future. More
specifically, they related that having a strong, supportive and trusting relationship
with adults is important to them with regards to perceiving community activities
and programs as safe and meaningful.
Talked about wanting more social and recreational activities led by role models
from the community (people they knew as opposed to someone coming from
outside and then leaving) that would develop a relationship with them.
Talked about wanting to learn about other cultures and beliefs, but felt that the
lack of opportunities and the sense of fear in the community was a barrier for
them.
Strongly indicated that they liked their parents being involved in their schools
and felt it would be a good idea for them to be more involved in their community
programs.
Indicated that they would like to take on leadership and mentoring roles as part of
their way of becoming strong community members in their own community.
Many youth indicated that they wanted community mentors.
Youth also related that community agencies needed to earn their trust and respect
and that if they talked about their needs and challenges, a quick response would
be needed in order for them to feel listened to and hopeful about change
Parents:
•
•
•
Were not overly surprised that their children and youth were as resilient as they
were and that their role as parents was such a strong protective factor. Many
expressed pleasure at hearing they were doing a good job at parenting.
Related that their immigrant status was a strong asset since their birth culture
nurtures the characteristics of commitment to family, practice of spiritual
activities, sense of community values, etc. which are strongly encourage in their
children. This was evident by the level of school involvement by the parents and
their strong sense of valuing education as a privilege and an essential experience
for their children.
They also indicated that they needed support in helping their children adjust to
the culture of general society and related that they wanted to continue their
supportive relationship with their children and youth as they entered different
developmental stages – to build upon the early strengths they had already
nurtured. Talked about needing support with developing a better understanding
as to how they can support their children in a strength-based manner to handle
the challenges of differences in cultures and developmental milestones. Also
related that they were open to ideas of adult mentors from the community
supporting them in this challenging area as long as the mentors were open to
developing a co-parenting style of support.
33
•
•
•
•
•
Strongly indicated that the strengths and resources they had to offer needed to be
utilized by community agencies in a collaborative manner. They talked about
wanting to work with agencies based upon a trusting mutual relationship as
opposed to being worked on or fixed.
Talked about the need for debate about what the true needs of the children, youth
and community are and starting the change process at meaningful starting points
as opposed to just targeting risk areas in how community agencies support
children and families.
Explored the idea of finding different ways of celebrating and learning about the
different cultures in their community. Parents acknowledged the comfort level in
socializing with people from their ‘own culture’. Perceiving diversity as a
strength and not a barrier – role modelling to their children. However, indicated
a basic need for more gathering places in order to gather and celebrate the
diversity of culture in their community.
Wanted to build on the strengths of their children, youth and community
members as a way to collaborate with community agencies – nurture community
heroes and role models.
Talked about challenges of being immigrants and labelled as living in a “needy,
high risk, disadvantaged” community – but the results of the survey tell a very
different story. Parents wondered how a balanced story could become the
perception of the community by outsiders and those offering programs and
services.
Through their involvement, the community members demonstrated a vested interest in
developing a better understanding of the resiliency factors their children and youth innately
have or need to be nurtured in order to provide the necessary momentum for overcoming
vulnerability to life’s challenges. They embraced the idea that it takes a community to raise
a child/youth and therefore the supportive relationships that a child or youth develops with
his/her family, peers, school, and community agencies are crucial.
34
Partners’ Learnings from the Research Process
1. Partnership Development: Effective partnerships take time and energy to develop. It is
critical that all partners fully commit to the project and have a clearly defined purpose and goals
statement, as well as agreed upon roles and expectations.. Effective partnering requires
combining resources and ideas, taking the time needed to form relationships, communicating well
about what is going on in the partnership and following a common model of practice that is
community centred and relationship based. Working together as mutual partners needs a
commitment to working respectfully with flexibility, accommodation and respect in recognition
of each others strengths, styles and personalities.
2. Community Outreach: Extensive outreach was conducted with parents via flyers, word of
mouth, active solicitation outside schools, as well as promoting the project at parent/council
meetings within the local schools. Parents’ decision to allow their child to participate was
mostly based on the trust they already had with the agency doing outreach and the agency’s
ability to clearly articulate the purpose and value of doing the research. The twenty dollar
honorarium, given to parents for allowing their child to participate in the research, was viewed,
by some parents, as an incentive. The most successful means of connecting to parents was 1:1
contact with a trusted person from their community. Building this relationship with parents takes
time and energy and a sincere demonstration that an agency cares about the people it serves.
The outreach to youth was different. Word of mouth was the most effective means of reaching
the youth. The $20 honorarium was a significant incentive. For youth under 15, parental consent
was required but those over 15 were allowed to sign their own consent forms. The focus groups
were unfortunately not well attended despite many youth agreeing to come.
3. Adopting a strength-based approach to community development requires an adjustment
for both agencies and parents and a paradigm shift away from the traditional model of “offering
programs designed to primarily reduce risk and fix community” with no real participation from
community in the intervention (see Table 8). Effective community programming is based upon
the need for different community agencies to collectively initiate effective change through
viewing community and its members as “unique and at potential”, partnering through
interventions in areas of needs meaningful to the community, developing capacity and
sustainability through building upon strengths and nurturing of collaborative relationships with
community members based upon trust, respect and non-judgement (see Table 9). The goal of
community agency programming is to nurture and support a community and its members’ ability
to thrive as opposed to just reducing risk. This project reinforces the partners’ commitment to
continue adopting a strength-based approach, and to build upon what has already been started
within our agencies through real collaboration with the children, youth, families, parents, schools
and other agencies in our communities.
35
Table Eight: Traditional Model of Community Service Delivery
Community Programming
(Linear / Prescribed / Non-collaborative)
Agency
1
Agency
2
Agency
3
Agency
4
Agency
5
Child/Youth/Family/Community
36
Table Nine: Strength-Based Model of Community Service Delivery
Community Programming
(Client Centred/Collaborative/Process Focused)
Agency
1
C
O
M
M
U
N
I
T
Y
Agency
2
Agency
3
C
O
M
M
U
N
I
T
Y
Meaningful Needs and Relationship Based
Strengths Focused and Participatory
Capacity Building and Sustainable
Child/Youth/Family
37
Overview of Recommendations
Building and strengthening resilience in a children and youth requires an ongoing,
comprehensive and integrated approach involving the child/youth, parents, peers, school and
community as equal partners. The following recommendations are listed in order from the
broader suggestions to the more targeted and specific. All recommendations have received
endorsement from both the east (Flemingdon) and west (Chalkfarm, Daystrom, Falstaff,
Gracedale) community parents, children/youth and agencies involved. Many of the
recommendations while seemingly common sense, follow the literature on community capacity
building, need to be restated, and adopted.
Service Provision Policy:
1. Funding strategies should support the development of collaborative partnerships
between parents, schools and all sectors in the community. Programs need to reflect the
meaningful starting points and build upon the capacities of community in a
comprehensive, strength-based and holistic way, addressing the needs of children, youth
and families as well as being implemented throughout all sectors. Working in silos is not
an option since it tends to create fragmentation and dependency for community members.
The adage “It takes a village to raise a child” must be operationalized.
2. More resources (such as affordable programs, space, qualified staff, etc.) need to be
committed to the middle years (children 6-12) and young teens (13-19) in order to
support the enhancement of protective factors crucial to children and youth experiencing
healthy developmental outcomes. These types of supports are preventative interventions
by addressing the emerging vulnerabilities at earlier ages (6-12) resulting in less
engagement in risk and enhancement of an ability to meet the ongoing developmental
challenges in a healthier manner.
3. Funders should focus more on longer process outcome indicators essential to the
development of healthier developmental trajectories instead of short-term interventions
The nurturing of protective factors is a process and takes time. Resilience needs to be
fostered and should be seen as an acquired, gradually internalized, generalized set of
attributes that enable children and youth to adapt to life’s challenges. It involves
supportive relationships and coaching as well as the provision of developmentally
appropriate life situations to experientially develop confidence and ability to generalize
strengths to other real life situations.
4. Funders need to support community agencies adopting a strength-based approach when
determining grant recipients and core funding of community agencies. Indicators need to
be developed and recognized that demonstrate that an agency works from a strengthbased perspective, supports the development of a local skill-base, and works in a
relationship-based manner with local residents.
38
5. Longer term core funding for service provision programs must be provided through a
coordinated approach by all levels of government. A coordinated approach to funding
will eliminate the continual search for new sources of funding and multiple funders for
the same programs freeing up local agencies to work with the community to address
assets and needs identified by the community and to build meaningful relationships.
6. Funding should support instrumental needs like the creation of “child/family-friendly”
spaces in the community. Child-friendly means demonstrating a genuine interest in
children and an attitude of respect for children and their families. (for more details see
www.childfriendly.org ) “When children are valued and their needs are met, society
benefits; children thrive and communities unite” (Michele Mason, founder of ChildFriendly Initiative, Inc.)
Community Agencies:
Children and youth service providers, both public and in the non-profit sector, can enhance
resiliency by implementing the following:
1. Collectively embrace and actualize a common strength-based continuum model of care
provision and evaluation. Encourage all staff throughout an organization to adopt a client
focused, capacity building and strength-based practice in everything they do (programs,
partnership development, counselling etc.). Emphasis needs to be less on “fixing or
working on risk” and more on staff developing meaningful, trusting relationships with
adults and children/youth in the community they serve and acting as role models, mentors
and facilitators to those they serve.
2. Provide ongoing training and support to community organizations and their staff
around enhancing strength-based practice and skill sets that enable effective community
engagement, facilitating and mentoring.
3. Avoid perpetuating the labelling and stereotyping of a community and their members.
Community agencies must cast themselves as co-partners and facilitators of change rather
than as experts, authorities, initiators or directors of the change process. Supporting the
development of resiliency is about strengthening relationships and placing an emphasis
upon capacities, competencies, and resources that exist within and outside the child,
youth, family, and community. A community agency is not there to work on community
members, rather, to walk along side the people in the community and support the
meaningful change process they embrace.
4. A strong focus on collaborative involvement of community members should be a
priority. For example, this could be reflected through creativity in training and
developing more community volunteers, to increase the opportunity for children/youth to
engage in meaningful relationships with other adults as mentors and role models within
the community.
39
5. Ensure all programs and services are collaboratively determined by an informed
community (meaningful starting points of change as opposed to what agencies think the
community needs) and are accessible and equitable to best meet the needs of all in the
community and based on best practices. Services offered by community programs need
to be meaningful to the community members and collaborative in nature.
6. Facilitate and support the development of a broader understanding of the essential role
of crucial protective factors like school, family and culture. For example, community
agencies could facilitate a parent support network and group with the support of teachers
at school. The groups might address issues of normal growth and development for
children 6-12, and teens 13-19 yrs, how to set realistic expectations, how to address
cultural and generational differences, etc.
Schools:
Schools play a critical role in the enhancing of a child’s and youth’s resiliency. The schools in
this research were viewed, by both the children and youth, as a major contributor to enhancing
and maintaining their strong resiliency.
1. Schools need to work in partnership with parents and provide a warm and welcoming
culture to encourage more parent involvement (e.g. create a drop in space for parents to
socialize within the school, etc.), especially in the older grades. Schools should be family
friendly and work from a strength-based perspective in partnership with the parents. A
respectful, caring relationship should be presented towards all in the school environment:
teachers, staff, parents and children/youth.
2. Schools can play an important role in facilitating collaborative learning opportunities
for parents and other relevant professionals. For example, providing workshops for
parents on how to navigate through the school system, understanding the “other cultural
world” of their children and youth and how to best advocate for their children’s
developmental needs in a pro-active manner as opposed to a reactionary perspective.
3. Encourage parental partnering, especially in the higher-grade levels to encourage the
continuing involvement of parents in the school system throughout a child’s school
experience. Parents need to feel invited and encouraged to fulfill their essential part in the
collaborative nurturing of resiliency and a child’s ownership of a healthy lifestyle.
4. Implement mentoring initiatives and leadership opportunities for all students and
programs that foster building the protective factors children need to successfully navigate
the developmental milestones towards healthy adulthood. For example, programs like the
“Roots of Empathy”, “Future Aces” and “Heroes” offer such opportunities. Programs
being offered need to be meaningful, building upon strengths and relationship based as
opposed to just curriculum based.
5. Strengthen school councils and ensure a broad representation of parents and relevant
community agencies and professionals. School councils or action committees can serve
40
as effective vehicles for parents to become involved in a school. Community agencies
should be invited to collaboratively participate as members of these collaborative
committees.
6. Advocate that schools are logical places to become hubs of the community and work
towards this strength-based community development/capacity building role.
Families:
The children in this study perceived their families as warm, supportive and caring. Families play
an essential role in the formation of their children/youth’s developmental strengths. To further
enhance a child/youth’s resilience, families can:
1. Become active partners - actively engage in your child’s school throughout the child’s
education (school councils, breakfast programs, volunteering in his/her classroom,
attending child’s performances, supporting extracurricular activities involving good role
model at school, etc.).
2. Advocate for and participate in parent/family support initiatives to address community
safety, childcare issues, and social/recreational opportunities. For example, establish a
Neighbourhood Watch program or leadership skills development program (e.g., Boys and
Girls Clubs) for children/youth that are actively supported through the involvement of
community parents and other adults (community agencies could support this process).
Parents could advocate for a local Parks and Recreation Parent Advisory Group for all
children’s programmes.
3. Nurture and support diverse adult networks and friendships for parents themselves to
not only serve as positive role models for children/youth, but also provide children the
opportunity to interact with other supportive adults or possible mentors. Community
cohesiveness is built through ever enlarging networks and friendships with the people
who live near you and your children. Be cautious about taking a community bedroom
approach to your neighbourhood. (I just sleep there/live there. I don’t get involved in the
neighbourhood.) Agencies can help by supporting ‘get to know your neighbourhood”
activities..
4. Foster child/youth’s sense of self and strengths by listening to their opinions,
discussing plans with them so they can learn to plan, developing child resumes of their
skills, adding new skills each year.
5. Encourage the involvement of community role models and mentors in the lives of
children/youth. Often, children/youth will address issues of concern with other adults (an
aunt, grandmother, neighbour, family friend, teacher) whom they trust as opposed to
talking with their primary caregivers. Parents can support such healthy relationships.
Children/Youth:
A child builds resiliency by feeling empowered, in control, having a sense of who they are and
what they are capable of, as well as being socially sensitive. Many of the above
recommendations in the other sectors will help a child to enhance his/her resiliency. However, in
41
the spirit of working as co-partners, the following are recommendations that the children in the
study thought they could do to help build their own developmental strengths.
1. Participate in volunteer opportunities that are meaningful and provide the opportunity to
develop important relationships with community members and agencies (e.g. planting
trees, gardens in your community, visiting elders, singing in a choir, etc). Look for
opportunities to develop leadership skills and to take on roles of helping others.
2. Attend and participate in more community events that reflect safety, cultural respect, and
empowerment such as community picnics, family fun days etc. Reflect on and celebrate
the diversity of a culturally diverse community.
3. Choose friends wisely! Associate with peers who have similar values and community
friendly interests. Develop friendly, respectful relationships with adults in the community
who are known to your family and who encourage you to make good choices, to work
hard in school, to be kind and helpful to others and who help you to believe in your
abilities. Establish boundaries for boyfriend, girlfriend relationships.
4. Explore and learn more about what they do well and practice what they are interested in,
passionate about and confident about engaging in.
42
Dissemination of the research findings and
recommendations
The ripple effect of this research (the two phases) has been incredibly rewarding and the
partnership senses a bit of a tipping point in regard to adopting a resiliency framework for the
way communities provide programs, services and space that enhance the resiliency of
children and support their families. We believe that adopting a resiliency philosophy of
practice can change the way we live together and enhance resiliency for individuals, families
and communities. By reflecting on our practices and programmes from a resiliency
enhancing perspective and by being open to change and by sharing our learnings with others
and encouraging the broad adoption of this framework we feel that we are making a
contribution to changing the world. Together we can be agents of change and the change
must start with ourselves.
When we began the research project, information sessions and training were provided by
Resiliency Canada to the project partner agencies, their staff and volunteers and community
parents. Through various networks, coalitions and groups, the concept, framework and
research project have been promoted. When we received the data analysis from the two
phases, again the feedback loop included, not only the children and their families, our own
staff and volunteers, but also our numerous contacts in the community. One agency staff
person said “A year ago, I didn’t know what the word resiliency meant, now I see it
everywhere! I’m proud, especially as a parent who was not born in Canada, that we are a part
of this work”.
In September 2005, we coordinated Dr. Hammond presenting to over 100 Toronto
Community Housing Corporation youth staff. A few weeks later, the TCHC manager of
Youth Programs was speaking on CBC Radio about how TCHC is trying to focus on building
meaningful relationships with children and youth in their housing and looking into
developing mentoring programs as a means of addressing the increasing concerns around
youth violence and isolation.
In November 2005, we presented at the International Urban Health Conference in Toronto.
The number of questions generated, the enthusiasm of the responses and the interest shown in
our poster presentation was encouraging as were the numerous hits to Resiliency Canada’s
website after our presentation.
In December 2005, some preliminary discussions with the Faculty of Education at York
University indicated some interest in being involved in our next stage of the research
(determining the resilience of youth in the same two communities). We also explored the
possibility of incorporating a resiliency framework into the development of a program to train
after school (or out of school) workers (similar to the Early Childhood Educators diploma).
In January 2006, discussions with Seneca College began to possibly develop a resiliencybased curriculum for a Diploma program for Out of School program workers with a target
date of September 2007. Seneca staff developed the staff training programme for the ARC
(After School Recreation and Care) Programme including some material on enhancing
resiliency in children.
43
The two researchers that have had the greatest impact on our understandings of resiliency are
our project researcher, Dr. Wayne Hammond from Calgary and Dr. Michael Ungar from
Dalhousie who has spoken frequently in Toronto. For obvious reasons we have an interest in
connecting with a researcher from one of the post secondary institutions in Toronto and will
continue to seek out such a connection for future knowledge transfer and collaborations on
community-based research related to resiliency.
In 2006, Dr. Hammond was invited to present the project results at the TCHC conference
“Getting Your Hustle On” which was strongly embraced and followed up on by several
attending community agencies (The Eva’s Phoenix Program). Toronto Social Services has
also engaged Dr. Hammond to explore a strength-based model of evaluation for a community
project in one of the designated high needs communities in Toronto based upon hearing about
the current project.
In 2006 Doorsteps began to intentionally use a resiliency philosophy of practice as a criteria
for identifying potential partners for collaboration on developing service projects for any of
our neighbourhoods. This continues to be an effective partnership building approach for us.
In January 2006 we first met with staff from Child Development Institute who were interested
in expanding their programmes from their treatment facility into programmes in the 13
priority neighbourhoods in Toronto. Stop Now and Plan –SNAP, Girls Connection, Girls
Growing Up Healthy were CDI programmes that we began to learn about. We learned that a
focus of these programmes was to support the ability to restrain from engaging in impulsive,
at-risk behaviours and to develop healthy decision making skills for children under 12. We
shared our resiliency research and immediately saw a fit. Some of Doorstep’s staff took the
SNAP training at CDI and we have continued to work with them to expand their resiliency
building programmes into the Black Creek area. CDI staff provided a training workshop for
our Daystrom Summer Camp staff and returned to see how the SNAP programme had been
incorporated into a drama experience for the children. CDI also worked with us in the
summer to provide a Girls Growing Up Healthy mother and daughter programme that
focussed on many of the same skills as well as on the parent child communication factor.
This is an ongoing partnership that has provided mutual learning for both of us about the
implementation of resiliency enhancing factors.
One of our learnings from the CDI - Girls Growing Up Healthy programme at Falstaff was
that some of the parents did not feel comfortable discussing sexual health with their daughters
and would like to participate in parent-only discussions before they participate in a shared
workshop. Our interest in encouraging positive parent/child communication has led us to
discussions about the Resiliency Framework and to a partnership with Planned Parenthood of
Toronto who are delivering sexual education workshops in our three neighbourhoods
including a focus on how to talk to our children about sexual health. These will be delivered
with a strong culturally sensitive component.
We have worked with Parks, Forestry and Recreation in all three of our neighbourhoods,
Chalkfarm, Falstaff and Daystrom, sharing our resiliency research with staff. We have tried
to promote understanding about the value of creating a welcoming atmosphere for parents and
children and opening up space for community events. Providing free space to community
programmes is a very concrete example of demonstrating the caring community factors.
44
Dissemination of resiliency concepts will continue on a regular basis with our P, F & R
partners with whom we share space and sometimes partner on projects.
The Middle Childhood Matters Coalition is also about encouraging the broader community to
support the healthy development of school-aged children including their resiliency. The
MCM coalition was formed to help increase cross-sectoral and public awareness of the
developmental stages and needs of children ages 6 to 12 and to better inform developers of
healthy policies and programmes for this age group. We frequently share our resiliency
perspective with colleagues from the health, education, recreation, childcare and child welfare
sectors. Our position is that collaborative work, building on strengths and supporting healthy
relationships from a resiliency framework will provide the most successful programmes for
children and their families. Although resiliency develops throughout the lifespan, a critical
period for influencing the resiliency trajectory is the middle years of childhood. This is a
period when children begin to articulate their own identities and these identities can be
greatly influenced by the people surrounding/caring for them. The Coalition is an important
forum for dialogue on the essential components of healthy/resiliency-building programmes
and services for children and their families.
We have also been working with another partner from the Self-Help Centre. The Mutually
Ours leadership development programme for adults supports resiliency in adults and the
development of good role-modelling skills. This is also a mutually satisfying partnership
where we are learning from the self-help model and our Mutually Ours partners are learning
from the resiliency- strength based model.
Throughout the year we have taken many opportunities to share our resiliency work with
local agency partners. Aside from sharing the resiliency research report we have also had
learning conversations with Delta, PEACH and Northwood Neighbourhood Services who
have incorporated the implementation of the resiliency framework into some of their project
proposals for youth.
We have been participating in the City of Toronto initiatives to integrate services for children
in Toronto. Successful implementation of the Resiliency Framework requires collaborative
thinking and we have been encouraging the adoption of a resiliency philosophy of practice as
a way of enhancing cross-sectoral communication that will undoubtedly make integration
easier to achieve. We have shared our research with members of this group and have
encouraged the use of resiliency-focused speakers at conferences. The present work in this
area is being led by Toronto Children’s Services to develop models of service including child
care, which are developed around a full understanding of the developmental stages and needs
of children which will enhance their strengths and contribute to healthy caring relationships
and to their belief that they do live in a caring city supported by caring adults. Our voice is
one of many but we are consistent in our messages related to the cumulative nature of
enhancing resiliency.
At a local level we have been involved with the Black Creek Capacity Project Co-ordinating
Committee and Space and Services Sub-Committees. We have shared our research with
members of these groups and have talked of the importance of learning about the concept of
“Family Friendly” spaces and services and the correlation between the resiliency factors and
the ability to resist at-risk behaviours and to participate in pro-social activities. Doorsteps
office/meeting room has a permanent display about the Community Fit For Children research
45
making it easy for us to embark on a discussion about this work with committee members and
others who come to visit.
Throughout 2006, we have had many (8 – 10) internal resiliency meetings with our staff and
volunteers to help members of our own organization develop their practice of working from a
strength based perspective and learning how to balance the maintenance of a professional
position with clients/residents while working as allies to solve problems together in a caring
respectful fashion. The resiliency framework is best looked at as a way of living, not just a
way of working. We have tried to promote a healthy relationship atmosphere within the
agency so that staff know that they are also viewed from a strength–based perspective with a
positive attitude about learning from mistakes and an assumption that most people are
motivated to work from a best intentions mindset. There has been much written about the
stress, fear and insecurity in the workplace, and in particular of the uncertainty in the not-for
profit field. Working from a resiliency framework can help alleviate some of these tensions
and can provide healthier relationships. By providing a positive work environment we can
provide better community supports.
March 2, 2006 Doorsteps ED was invited to participate in the Stakeholder Engagement Team
for the development of the City of Toronto ARC, Afterschool Recreation and Care
programme . We brought “enhancement of resiliency in children” as a goal to this planning
table.
March 30, 2006 at Black Creek Community Health Centre, we conducted a workshop for
colleagues in local Black Creek agencies about how to incorporate a resiliency framework
into your organization. Six staff from local agencies attended.
In the spring of 2006 we met with Joe Friesen, Globe and Mail Reporter in residence in the
Jane/Finch Community. We toured our three neighbourhood centres and met some parents.
We talked about the high levels of resiliency of children in the neighbourhood. We spoke of
how important it is that community agencies and media give a balanced accurate view of the
assets and strengths of the community as well as reporting on some of the difficulties.
Throughout the year, on several occasions, we met with Andrea Gordon, family reporter from
The Toronto Star, sharing information with her about the resiliency research for future use in
a story about resiliency. The media is an essential part of the strategy to help focus on the
strengths of communities and balance out negative press that contributes to negative feelings
about children’s places of residence.
In the spring of 2006, we led a walk through the Black Creek valley in the Chalkfarm area
with a city planner and the Black Creek Space Sub-Committee, pointing out the beauty of the
area and how, with some attention, this large park could contribute more to the Quality of
Life (both leisure and employment) in the neighbourhood. We stressed the importance of
building on natural assets to increase community pride and to contribute to the resiliency of a
community.
May 15, 2006 We participated in the After School Recreation and Care (ARC) sub-group
focussing on staff training, including resiliency framework for ARC leaders.
46
On May 15, 2006, we met with staff from EQUITAS (www.equitas.ca). Exchanged
information about resiliency factors and their handbook of games for children that enhance
children’s knowledge of and practice of human rights. We then made arrangements to
include EQUITAS as part of Doorsteps After school and Summer Camp staff training. This
was a very positive experience for both staff and children. The Games handbook will be an
excellent resource for schools and recreational programmes for children. This was another
connection with a resource that enhances resiliency factors.
From June 26 to 30 during a week of training for youth leaders for our Daystrom Summer
Camp our focus was on delivering a programme that focussed on the strengths of the
children, where the children would enjoy the relationships with older youth and where they
would have opportunities to participate in pro-social activities. The week included a
resiliency workshop for approximately 20 youth entitled Building on Strengths. Training also
included a session on CDI’s Stop Now and Plan and Conflict Mediation Services of
Downsview, Mediation Role Playing. Summer Youth employees from PEACH were also
included in this training.
We have ongoing partnership discussions with PEACH staff who are providing two resiliency
building programmes in the community – “Suspended and Studying”, supporting good
decision making skills, engagement with learning and with school and “Wraparound”
supporting positive family relationships and healthy decision making.
In the summer of 2006, we shared the Resiliency Framework with 20 girls and project staff in
our Falstaff Summer Girls Club Programme. We encouraged conversations within the girls’
group on the cumulative nature of resiliency and the importance of all the factors together
more than individually. We talked about the importance of recognizing their own strengths
and those of their peers and building on these to support each other. Through these
discussions and an interest in the Safety resiliency factor, we organized an opportunity for the
girls to conduct a Metrac Safety Audit in the Falstaff neighbourhood.
On July 12, 2006 Downsview Library organized a Community Information Fair. A
Doorsteps’ Community Worker created an information display on our resiliency research and
on the correlation with Pro-social behaviour and the ability to resist at-risk activities.
On July 24,2006 Doorsteps ED met at Daystrom with Dr. S. N. Subaro renowned
humanitarian and youth leader from India who was visiting on his way to Youth Camps in the
USA. He organizes and operates youth and family camps around the world – teaching youth
leadership skills based on Ghandian principles for peace. We shared ideas about his work
and our resiliency research. He spent some time teaching games to the children in our
summer camp and we talked of trying to organize a culturally diverse Family event sometime
in Toronto. The cultural awareness factor was one of the lower ones in our research and we
would like to play a role in deepening cross-cultural communications between children and
families.
On August 6, 2006, Doorsteps ED. Spoke at Downsview United Church at Sunday Service
about our United Way funded research on resiliency and how we all play a part in enhancing
individual and community resiliency and how, when we understand the framework, it can
help us to make decisions based on an understanding of the impact of our actions. Spoke of
47
the long history of resiliency building programmes that have been offered by the United
Church such as CGIT (Canadian Girls in Training).
In September 2006, Sara Farrell and Lorna Weigand presented a workshop on our resiliency
research at the Toronto Network of Ontario Early Years Centres and The Ontario Family
Resource Alliance conference entitled Families: The Heart of It All.. The Sequel. This
workshop was well attended – over 40 people. .
On October 17, 2006 At the City and Community Agency Employment, Training and
Services Fair at Driftwood Community Centre (Jane/Finch), Doorsteps set up a display with
one page handouts about resiliency.
In the Fall of 2006 six teacher candidate placement students from York University signed up
for a 50 hour placement with Doorsteps for the 2006-2007 academic year. Their tasks were
to learn about our resiliency research, meet and become familiar with local parents and
prepare and deliver brief workshops/discussion groups on resiliency for community
groups/parents. Some students are also conducting resiliency workshops in their classes.
They are also helping to collect information for the development of our Resiliency Resources
Website.
On January 25 – 26, 2007 Doorsteps ED presented a Success Carousel on our Resiliency
Research at the Learning Partnership Conference, Partnerships in Action in Toronto.
Approximately 30 people attended this presentation. (The plenary address at this conference
will be given by Dr. Michael Ungar on “Children’s Pathways to Resilience Across Cultures.)
We will continue to offer our presentations at various venues throughout the city and at
various related conferences. We are submitting proposals to two conferences to be held later
this spring.
The dissemination of the findings of this research will continue. We completed a 4-5 page
executive summary of the first report that was used to inform community groups and agencies
of our findings and how they can adopt a strength-based approach to increase the resiliency of
the children and families they work with. Also, a request for an article to be published in a
University Journal from the Social Work Department by Dr. Grant Charles has been made
and will be followed up on.
We appreciate that this cultural shift towards appreciating a community’s strengths versus
their risks factors will take time and patience. However, with the continuing influence of this
research bringing community implementation and research together, we are hopeful that the
small ripple we have created will continue to grow.
48
Implications and Next Steps
There is nothing new about the observation that challenge is ever-present in high risk
communities. What is new is the clear evidence that children, youth and families in high risk
communities can not only be resilient, but can thrive in the face of adversity and the labels placed
upon them. The results of this study invites community members, care providers and funders to
view children, youth and their families as “having potential” as opposed to just being “at risk”.
This fundamental shift means working with and facilitating rather than fixing, pointing to health
rather than dysfunction, turning away from limiting labels and diagnosis to wholeness and wellbeing. Embracing a strength-based paradigm encourages seeing beyond the behaviours, skills
and characteristics of children and families in high need communities to the potential of what can
be.
A shift to the resiliency paradigm challenges community care providers and funders to start
seeing children and their families as sources of their own solutions and perceiving
themselves as facilitators and collaborative partners. It requires careful attention by
community agencies to system change processes, relationship building, capacity evaluation,
and appropriate research and best practices. Essential to success will be the collaboration
between different community care providers embracing the same philosophy and model of
strength-based practice and development of staff skill sets that enable effective community
engagement, collaboration, facilitating and mentoring. Community agencies will require
long-term and stable funding that allows for targeting of interventions meaningful to
community that reflect relationship and capacity building as well as strengthening key
processes for resilience that are meaningful to the intended clients and the community they
live in. There needs to be a commitment from community agencies to work as copartners
with local schools, parents and other significant community supports to develop informed
and best practice models of nurturing resiliency for children, youth and their families. In
doing this, children and their families become more resourceful in dealing with life
challenges, weathering persistent stresses, and meeting future needs as opposed to
developing dependence on the system. It is important to note that it is not enough to just
institute best-practice strategies since their success depends on the quality of the
relationships (caring with expectations) surrounding them and ongoing opportunities for
participation by the children and families involved.
Given the likelihood that the children, youth and families in high need communities will be faced
with significant challenges, multiple and cumulative strength-based interventions will be
required. Strengths within the community (i.e., parents, schools, culture, community mentors,
etc.) along with strength-based agency interventions must tap into and build upon the protective
factors of children and youth essential for navigating successfully the critical developmental
challenges and milestones towards becoming healthy adults. The current studies clearly indicate
that we cannot overlook the strengths children and youth currently have. Their protective factors
and strengths must be included as essential building blocks along with the evaluation of the risks,
symptoms and challenges in a person’s life. Children and youth live within multiple contexts –
in families, schools, peer groups, religious faiths and many other groups – that can be a potential
source of protective factors as well as risks. They are protected not only by the self-righting
nature of development, but also, by their own actions and the actions of significant adults. Also,
protective factors change and shift as development unfolds for a child or youth. Therefore,
different strategies (for families, schools and other significant support systems) will be required
49
to support the ongoing enhancement and expression of resiliency as children and youth move
through the different developmental milestones.
This study involved a specific group of children and youth in two high need communities whose
parents actively supported their participation. As a result, the data may have reflected results
characteristic of a more enhanced natural resilience than in other peers in the same communities.
However, the results do clearly indicate that a significantly large group of children and youth do
have strong protective mechanisms (intrinsic and extrinsic) that can provide the opportunity to
learn and understand how to function effectively and cope in constructive ways with life’s
challenges. Future research is needed to explore a larger cross-sectional representation of
community children and youth and the developmental enhancement of resiliency. It will be
essential to evaluate the impact of community interventions to determine how they nurture the
capacity of community and what are the crucial components and/or collaborations that contribute
(or do not contribute) to the enhancing of resiliency and in turn, healthier developmental
trajectories of children and youth in higher poverty neighbourhoods.
In summary, the current strength-based project encourages an optimistic view of sustainable
capacity development in complex and high need communities. The results provide a conceptual
map for discussions as to how community members and agencies could collaborate in ways to
establish meaningful starting points and strength-based care provision strategies that will
effectively enhance and maintain the resiliency and protective factors that research clearly
identifies as essential for children and youth to successfully navigate the critical developmental
challenges and milestones towards becoming healthy adults. The results of the current study also
provide a baseline of information for determining the areas of strengths and potential
vulnerability as well as exploring what instrumental and innate resources within the community
(i.e., role of parents and schools) are effectively enhancing (or are not enhancing) resiliency in
children and what resources may need to be introduced in a relevant manner. Having a baseline
also allows for the monitoring of current and future collaborative and strategic initiatives in the
community as to their effectiveness and sustainability. Supporting the capacity building of
communities to “raise their own” is fundamentally based in the belief that all individuals have the
ability to change when supported to explore and understand their strengths, sense of self-efficacy,
innate well-being and resiliency, not from a focus on deficits, risks, and problems. When
community members understand their innate strengths and develop a sense of their own efficacy,
they will transform their own families, schools and communities in ways that are meaningful and
sustainable.
50
Appendix A
Child Resiliency: Assessing Developmental Strengths
Questionnaire
Client ID #
_____________________________________
Community ID #
_____________________________________
Date of Administration:
_____________________________________
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! Copyright © 2003 Resiliency Canada
583901
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Child Resiliency: Assessing Developmental Strengths
Use pencil. Mark with a X or
This is not a test.
There are no right answers or wrong answers.
Do your best.
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
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Please answer all of the following questions:
I am a…
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How old are you today?
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in only one circle:
Boy
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Girl
What grade are you in?
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5 or younger
6
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12 or older
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K
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Which of the following best describes your current family setting?
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I live with both parents.
I live with my mother only
I live with my father only
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Sometimes I live with my mother and sometimes with my father
I live with one of my parents (mother or father) and a step-parent
I live with a guardian (e.g. extended family) other than my parents
Specify one or more ethnic or cultural groups to which your ancestors belong?
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Canadian
French
Chinese
Korean
Other European
Somalian
Aboriginal Peoples
Japanese
Latin-American
Filipino
West Indian
African
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English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
South East Asian (e.g., Vietnamese,…)
South Asian (e.g., East Indian, Tamil)
Arab
Italian
Other:
Don’t know
Do you attend “After School Programming”?
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No
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Yes - If Yes, please specify:
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Yes - If Yes, how many times _____ and how long ago was the last move ____
Have you ever moved?
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No
Have you ever changed schools?
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No
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Yes - If Yes, how many times ____ and how long ago was the last change ___
How long have you lived in the community you now live in?
Less Than 1 year ____
1 to 2 years ____
3 years ____
4 years ____
All My Life ____
Do you speak/understand another language at home other than English?
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No
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Yes
If Yes, please specify:
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What is the highest level of schooling your father (or male guardian) has completed?
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Junior high school or less
High school
Trade, technical or vocational certificate
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Some college or university courses
A college diploma or university degree
Not Applicable
What is the highest level of schooling your mother (or female guardian) has completed?
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Junior high school or less
High school
Trade, technical or vocational certificate
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Some college or university courses
A college diploma or university degree
Not Applicable
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! Copyright © 2003 Resiliency Canada
583901
How much do you agree or disagree with the questions?
Pick one answer for each.
1. I think that we should all help others……………………………….
2. My family gives me lots of support……………………………
3. I feel safe in my community…………………………………………
4. My friends behave very well………………………………………..
5. I want to do well in school…………………………………………..
6. I think my life has meaning………………….………………………
7. I am able to plan ahead………………………………………………
8. I can talk to my parents about anything………….………………….
9. My spiritual beliefs/values play a big part in my life……………….
10. My parents want me to do the best I can……………………………
11. I care about my school………………………………………………
12. It is important to be fair to others……………………………………
13. My family makes me feel good about myself……………………….
14. My friends are treated well by adults in my neighbourhood………..
15. I can ask my neighbours for help at any time……………………….
16. My neighbours expect children to behave well…………………..
17. My school has fair rules for bad behaviour..………………………...
18. My school helps students set goals and work hard to make them…...
19. My parents listen to what I have to say…..……………………….
20. I try to avoid unsafe things…………………………………………..
21. I feel good about my future………………………………………….
22. My school is a caring place………………………………………….
23. My teacher wants me to do the best I can…………….……………..
24. I can trust my friends………………………………………………..
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How much do you agree or disagree with the following?
Choose one answer for each.
25. I work hard to get the best marks I can in school……………………...
26. I am able to do many things well….…………………………………..
27. I respect the beliefs of other cultures……………….………………….
28. My parents help me do well in school…...…………………………….
29. Adults in my neigbourhood listen to what I have to say about things…
30. I can count on my friends to help me………………………………….
31. My parents help me with my schoolwork……………………………..
32. My neighbours care how I behave ……………………………………
33. I think that I can do things as well as other children my age…….……
34. My parents treat me with respect………………………………………
35. My parents think that I am a responsible person.……………………...
36. I like learning about the cultures of other people……………………...
37. I have a strong sense of my culture and traditions…………………….
38. My parents encourage me to set goals and work hard to get them……
39. I try to say things that will not hurt other’s feelings…………………..
40. I try to do homework every day……………………………………….
41. My parents care about my feelings………………...………………….
42. It is important for me not to use alcohol………………………………
43. It is important for me not to use drugs…………………………………
44. I am able to say “no” to my friends if they want to do something bad..
45. It is important for me not to use tobacco products…………………….
46. My family tells me how special I am to them…………………………
47. I can talk to my parents about anything…….…………………………
48. My parents are proud of me……………………………………………
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! Copyright © 2003 Resiliency Canada
583901
How much do you agree or disagree with the following?
Choose one answer for each.
49. I feel safe in my school………………………………………………
50. I feel safe in my neighbourhood……………………………………..
51. My best friends do well at school……………………………………
52. I like what we learn in class………………………………………….
53. I feel I have something special to do with my life…………………...
54. I always hand in my schoolwork on time……………………………
55. I care about other’s feelings…………………………………………
56. I care about how other people are doing…………………………….
57. Adults in my neighbourhood talk to me all the time………………...
58. My school has clear rules about what is good behaviour……………
59. I stay away from people who get me into trouble…………………...
60. My teachers really care about me……………………………………
61. My parents ask me about school…………………………………….
62. I always try to do the best work I can at school……………………..
63. I know a lot about other cultures…………………………………….
64. Adults in my community make me feel really important……………
65. My parents care about my feelings…………………………………..
66. I can count on many adults to help me………………………………
67. My teachers have high expectations for me……………………..…..
68. My best friends have goals for the future……………………………
69. My parents help other people all the time…………………………...
70. People in my neighbourhood care about the children……………….
71. I try to do the best job at whatever I do……………………………...
72. Adults where I live make me feel like I am important part of the
neighbourhood……………………………………………………….
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Page 5 of 9
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Strongly
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! Copyright © 2003 Resiliency Canada
583901
How much do you agree or disagree with the following?
Choose one answer for each.
73. I know my friends will always do the right thing……………………
74. I am able to make good choices….…………………………………..
75. The adults in my life are hard working and caring people…………..
76. I have strong spiritual beliefs and values…………………………….
77. My parents can trust me……………………………………………...
78. I like to live in a place with people from different cultures…………
79. My teachers treat me with respect…………………………………...
80. I never worry about what other people think about me……………...
81. My family gives me a lot of love……………………………………
82. My friends respect me for who I am…………………………..……
83. I like to take on new challenges……………………………………..
84. I live in a very caring neighbourhood……………………………….
85. Adults in my community treat me with respect……………….……
86. My parents like the friends I have………………….………………..
87. I really care about helping others…………………..………………..
88. My parents help me to know myself well……………………………
89. I feel safe even when I am at home by myself………………………
90. Adults in my neighbourhood are honest people..……………………
91. I feel bad when people I know are sad…………….……..………….
92. It is important that all people are given equal chances………………
93. I know my parents will be there when I need them………………….
94. I like who I am as a person………………………………..…………
95. My friends are liked by teachers in school…………………………..
96. My parents always praise me when I have done something well……
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How much do you agree or disagree with the following?
Choose one answer for each.
97. It is easy for me to make good grades……………………………….
98. I know what the teacher says to me in the classroom………………..
99. I have a lot of talent………………………………………………….
100. Reading has been easy for me………………………………………
101. Math has been easy for me…………………………………………
102. I do not think that I have a hard time learning…………………......
103. I am always on time and know what I have to do…………………..
104. I am good at writing down what I know about things………………
105. I like going to school………………………………………………..
106. I do not spend time with kids who like to get into trouble………….
107. I do not get into trouble with teachers at school……………………
108. I think I should go to school everyday……………………………...
109. I do not try to get away with things……………………....................
110. I am not good at lying to get out of trouble…………………………
111. I always think before I do things………………………………...
112. I can wait for things like other kids can…………………………….
113. I do not have trouble getting to sleep or sleeping……………..........
114. I do not jump from one thing to another……………………………
115. I can keep my mind on anything……………………………………
116. I do not worry a lot about things……………………………………
117. I do not get the teacher mad by not sitting down…………………...
118. I learn from my mistakes……………………………………………
119. I do not think a lot about my size or weight………………………...
120. I do not feel lonely………………………………………………….
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!
! Copyright © 2003 Resiliency Canada
583901
How much do you agree or disagree with the following?
Choose one answer for each.
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
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Disagree
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121. I tend not to break rules……………………………………………..
122. I have one or more adults (not a parent) in my life who likes me for
who I am……………………………………………………………..
123. There is one adult (not parent) in my life who I like and look up to.
124. There is one adult (not parent) in my life that I feel safe with and
can talk about things…………………………………………………
During the last week, how many times did you…
125. Play sports in your school.………………………………………………
126. Play sports for fun in your neighbourhood………………………………
127. Help out your people in your neighbourhood..…………………………
128. Take music, drama, art or dance lessons……….………………………..
129. Go to spiritual or religious activities….……….………………………..
130. Completed at least one hour of homework each school day…..………..
131. Read for fun…………………….……………………………………….
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Page 8 of 9
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! Copyright © 2003 Resiliency Canada
583901
During the last month, how many times have you…
132. Drank alcohol……………………………………………………………
133. Smoked cigarettes or chewed tobacco…………..………………………
134. Used marijuana………………………………………………………….
135. Picked on or bullied someone…………………………….……………..
136. Been picked on or bullied by someone…………………………………
137. Skipped school………………………………………………………….
138. Gambled or played the lottery………………………….………………
During the last year, how many times have you…
139. Been a leader in a group…………………….…………………………..
140. Stolen something from a store…………………………………………
141. Marked up or broken things just for fun…………………………………
142. Gotten drunk……………………………………………………………
143. Hidden a weapon to protect yourself….….……………………………
144. Hit or beat up someone………………………………………………….
145. Used hard drugs…………………………………………………………
On a normal school day, how many hours do you spend…?
146. Watching TV or videos…………………………………….……………
147. Playing video games or surfing the Internet……………………………
148. Doing things that exercise your body………..….………………………
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Page 9 of 9
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! Copyright © 2003 Resiliency Canada
583901
People who know me would say that this is…
Very
Much
Like Me
A Lot
Like Me
Somewhat
Like Me
A
Little
Like Me
Not
at all
Like Me
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149. Saves money for special things instead of spending it right away...
150. Does not give up when things get hard……………….…….………
151. Does not like to boss other kids around…………………………….
152. What other people say about me does not make me mad…………..
153. Knows a lot about people from other cultures……..……………….
154. Being shy is not a problem for me…………………………………
155. I like to get to know other
kids…………………………………….....
156. I have one best friend my age………………………………………
157. I do not like breaking things………………………………………..
158. I stay healthy by eating good foods………………………………..
159.
!
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Compared with other students in your class, how well do you do?
Poor
Below
Average
Average
Above
Average
Excellent
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Page 10 of 9
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Appendix A
Youth Resiliency: Assessing Developmental
Strengths Questionnaire
Client Name:
_____________________________________
Community ID#
_____________________________________
Date of Administration:
_____________________________________
Youth Resiliency: Assessing Developmental Strengths (YR:ADS) Questionnaire
Use pencil or ballpoint pen. X or
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in the circles as in the example below:
▀
▀ Copyright © 2001 Resiliency Canada
574001
This is not a test. There are no right answers or wrong
answers. What is important is that you take your time and
respond to each statement honestly and truthfully.
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
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Please answer all of the following questions:
I am a…
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How old are you today?
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male
female
What grade are you in?
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14
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17
18 or older
15
16
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8th
12th
9th
10th
11th
Which of the following best describes your current family setting?
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I live with both parents.
I live with my mother only
I live with my father only
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Sometimes I live with my mother and sometimes with my father
I live with one of my parents (mother or father) and a step-parent
I live with a guardian (e.g. extended family) other than my parents
I Live on my own
Specify one or more ethnic or cultural groups to which your ancestors belong?
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Canadian
French
Chinese
Korean
Other European
Somalian
Aboriginal Peoples
Japanese
Latin-American
Filipino
West Indian
African
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English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
South East Asian (e.g., Vietnamese,…)
South Asian (e.g., East Indian, Tamil)
Arab
Italian
Other:
Don’t know
Do you have a job?
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No
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Yes
If No, would you like to have a job? Yes _____
No _____
If Yes, how many hours do you worm per week? ______ hours
▀
Page 1 of 9
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▀ Copyright © 2001 Resiliency Canada
574001
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How long have you lived in the community you now live in?
Less Than 1 year ____
1 to 2 years ____
3 years ____
4 years ____
All My Life ____
Do you speak/understand another language at home other than English?
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No
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Yes
If Yes, please specify:
Did you have a younger brother or sister who participated in the previous resiliency survey performed last year?
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No
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Yes
If Yes, please specify how many:
Do you use any community services, agencies or programs out of school?
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No
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Yes
If Yes, please list the ones you use:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
What is the highest level of schooling your father (or male guardian) has completed?
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Junior high school or less
High school
Trade, technical or vocational certificate
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Some college or university courses
A college diploma
A university degree
Not Applicable
What is the highest level of schooling your mother (or female guardian) has completed?
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Junior high school or less
High school
Trade, technical or vocational certificate
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Page 2 of 9
Some college or university courses
A college diploma
A university degree
Not Applicable
▀
▀ Copyright © 2001 Resiliency Canada
574001
How much do you agree or disagree with the following?
Choose one answer for each.
1. I believe that it is important to help others…………………………
2. My family provides me with lots of support……………………….
3. I feel safe in my community……………………………………….
4. My friends behave responsibly…………………………………….
5. It is important for me to do well in school…………………………
6. I believe my life has purpose………………….……………………
7. I am capable of planning ahead……………………………………
8. I can talk honestly with my parents/guardians………….…………..
9. My spiritual beliefs/values play an important role in my life………
10. My parents/guardians encourage me to do the best I can…………..
11. I care about my school………………………………………………
12. I believe that it is important to be fair to others…………………….
13. My family makes me feel good about myself………………………
14. My friends are respected by adults in the community………………
15. I feel comfortable asking my neighbours for help………………….
16. My neighbours have clear expectations for the young people in my
community…………………………………………………………
17. My school has clear consequences for inappropriate behaviour..….
18. My school encourages students to set goals and work hard to
achieve them………………………………………………………...
19. My parents/guardians are interested in what I have to say…..……..
20. I try to avoid unsafe situations……………………………………..
21. I feel positive about my future……………………………………..
22. My school environment is a caring place…………………………..
23. My teachers encourage me to do the best I can…………….………
24. I can trust my friends……………………………………………….
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Page 3 of 9
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Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
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▀ Copyright © 2001 Resiliency Canada
574001
How much do you agree or disagree with the following?
Choose one answer for each.
25. I work hard to get the best grades/marks I can in school…………….
26. I am able to do many different things well….……………………….
27. I respect the beliefs of different cultures……………….…………….
28. My parents/guardians are active in helping me succeed in school….....
29. Adults in my community respect my opinions……………………….
30. I can rely on my friends…..…………………………………………..
31. My parents/guardians help me with my school work…………………
32. My neighbours care how I behave in our community………………..
33. I believe that I can do things as well as other people my age…….…..
34. My parents/guardians treat me with respect…………………………..
35. My parents/guardians think that I am a responsible person.………….
36. I am interested in learning about the cultures of other people………..
37. I feel that I have a strong sense of belonging to my traditions/culture.
38. My parents/guardians encourage me to set goals and work hard to
achieve them………………………………………………………….
39. I try to say things in a way that will not hurt people’s feelings………
40. I try to do homework every day………………………………………
41. My parents/guardians respect my feelings………………...………….
42. I believe it is important for me not to use alcohol……………………
43. I believe it is important for me not to use drugs………………………
44. I am able to say “no” to my peers/friends when they want to do
something I think is wrong……………………………………………
45. I believe it is important for me not to use tobacco products………….
46. My family often tells me how important I am to them……………….
47. I talk to my parents about any serious issue or concern…….………..
48. My parents/guardians are proud of me………………………………..
▀
Page 4 of 9
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Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
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▀
▀ Copyright © 2001 Resiliency Canada
574001
How much do you agree or disagree with the following?
Choose one answer for each.
49. I feel safe in my school…………………………………………….
50. I feel safe in my neighbourhood……………………………………
51. My closest friends do well at school……………………………….
52. I am interested in what we learn in the classroom…………………
53. I feel that I have something to contribute in life……………………
54. I always complete my assignments for school on time……………..
55. I am concerned about other people’s feelings………………………
56. I care about how other people are doing…………………………….
57. Adults in my neighbourhood make an effort to get to know the
young people that live there…………………………………………
58. My school has clear rules about what is acceptable behaviour…….
59. I avoid people who may get me into trouble……………………….
60. My teachers really care about me………………………………….
61. My parents/guardians ask me about what I am doing at school……
62. I always try to do the best work I can at school……………………
63. I have a good understanding of other races or cultures…………….
64. Adults in my community make me feel like I am important………
65. My parents/guardians respect my feelings………………………….
66. I can count on many adults in my life to give me the support I need.
67. My teachers have high expectations for me……………………..…
68. My closest friends have clear goals and expectations for the future.
69. My parents/guardians spend a lot of time helping other people…….
70. People in my community care about young people that live there…
71. I try to be successful at whatever I do………………………………
72. Adults in my neighbourhood make me feel like I am part of the
community………………………………………………………….
▀
Page 5 of 9
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Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
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▀
▀ Copyright © 2001 Resiliency Canada
574001
How much do you agree or disagree with the following?
Choose one answer for each.
73. I know that I can count on my friends to do the right thing………..
74. I am able to make good choices….…………………………………
75. I consider the adults in my life to be responsible people…………..
76. I feel that I have strong spiritual beliefs and values…………………
77. My parents/guardians know they can trust me to do the right thing...
78. I am pleased to live in a place that has people from many different
cultures………………………………………………………………
79. My teachers treat me with respect……………………………..……
80. I never worry about what other people think about me…………….
81. My family gives me a lot of love……………………………………
82. My friends respect me for who I am…………………………..……
83. I like to take on new challenges……………………………………..
84. I live in a very caring community….……………………………….
85. Adults in my community treat me with respect……………….……
86. My parents/guardians like the friends I have………………….…….
87. I am concerned about helping others…………………..…………….
88. My parents/guardians help me to understand myself better…………
89. I feel safe even when I am at home by myself………………………
90. Adults in my neighbourhood are trustworthy people..………………
91. I feel badly when people I know are sad…………….……..……….
92. I believe it is important that all people are given equal opportunities.
93. I know I can trust my parents to be there when I need them………..
94. I like who I am as a person………………………………..………..
95. My friends are liked by teachers in school…………………………
96. My parents/guardians always praise me when I have done
something well………………………………………………………
▀
Page 6 of 9
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▀
▀ Copyright © 2001 Resiliency Canada
574001
How much do you agree or disagree with the following?
Choose one answer for each.
▀
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
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102. There is one adult (not parent/guardian) in my life who I value and
look to as a role model………………………………………………
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103. There is one adult (not parent/guardian) in my life that I feel safe
with and can discuss my problems …………………………….
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104. I make choices based upon what I think is right and not on what
others tell me …………………………………………………….
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105. I believe it is important to understand my gifts and abilities in order
to be the best that I can ………………………………………….
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106. I use my gifts and abilities to make a positive change in myself and
others …………………………………………………………….
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107. It is important to help others, even if it means giving up something
I want ……………………………………………………………..
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with peers who come from families with different beliefs ……..
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my friends at school or in the community …………………………
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113. I have never been put down or picked on because of my cultural
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97. I do not have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep……………....
98. I do not worry a lot about things……………………………………
99. I do not think a lot about my size or weight………………………...
100. I do not feel lonely………………………………………………….
101. I have at least one adult (not parent/guardian) in my life who
accepts me for who I am……………………………………………..
109. I like being who I really am with friends and others …………….
110. The cultural values of my family are important to learn and
practice ………………………………………………………
▀
Page 7 of 9
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▀ Copyright © 2001 Resiliency Canada
574001
During the last week, how many times have you…
117. Participated in sports or recreational activities in your school.………..
118. Participated in sports or recreational activities in your community……
119. Volunteered in your community……………..…………………………
120. Participated in music, drama, art or dance lessons……….……………..
121. Attended spiritual/religious/faith activities…….……….………………
122. Completed at least one hour of homework each school day…..……….
123. Read for pleasure…………………….…………………………………
During the last month, how many times have you…
124. Drank alcohol…………………………………………………………..
125. Smoked cigarettes or chewed tobacco…………..……………………..
126. Used marijuana…………………………………………………………
127. Involved with bullying another person…………………………….…..
128. Been picked on or bullied by another person………………………….
129. Skipped school…………………………………………………………
130. Gambled or played the lottery………………………….………………
During the last year, how many times have you…
131. Been a leader in a group or organization…………………….………….
132. Stolen something from a store…………………………………………..
133. Defaced or damaged property just for fun………………………………
134. Got drunk……………………………………………………………….
135. Carried a concealed weapon to protect yourself………….….………….
136. Hit or beat up someone………………………………………………….
137. Used inhalants….…………………………………………….…………
138. Used speed, amphetamines (ecstasy), bennies………………………….
139. Used downers, sleeping pills, quaaludes (ludes), etc……………………
140. Cocaine, crack, heroine………………………………………………….
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Page 8 of 9
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Twice
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▀ Copyright © 2001 Resiliency Canada
574001
On a typical school day, how many hours do you spend…?
141. Watching TV or videos…………………………………….…………..
142. Playing video games or surfing the Internet……………………………
143. Doing physical activities that exercise your body………..….…………
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5 or
More
Hours
3-4
Hours
Two
One
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Very
Much
Like Me
Quite
Like Me
Somewhat
Like Me
A
Little
Like Me
Not
at all
Like Me
144. Saves money for something special rather than spending it all right
away………………..………………………….…………………….
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145. Does not give up when things get difficult…………………………
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People who know me would say that this is…
146. Knows a lot about people from different cultures……..…………...
147. Being shy is not a problem for me………………………………….
148. I am sexually active……………………………………….……
149. I like to get close to others………………………………………….
150. I have one really close friend about my age………………………..
151. Stays healthy by eating good foods………………………………..
152.
Compared with other students in your grade, how well do you do in your subjects?
Excellent
Above
Average
Average
Below
Average
Poor
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Copyright © 2001 by Resiliency Canada, a non-profit research and educational organization focused on
child and adolescent development as it pertains to resiliency and well-being.
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Page 9 of 9
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Appendix B
COMPREHENSIVE
RESILIENCY REPORT
Child Developmental Strengths
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
From East and West High Needs Communities in Toronto, Ontario
May/2005
Prepared by:
Funded by:
The United Way
of Greater
Toronto
This Comprehensive Report may be reproduced and distributed at the discretion of the party contracting the
questionnaire study, Doorsteps Neighbourhood Services. Resiliency Canada will treat this report as
confidential.
Copyright © 2003 by Resiliency Canada, a non-profit research and educational organization focused on child
and adolescent development as it pertains to resiliency and well-being.
Contents
A.
B.
Introduction
I. Understanding Child Resiliency…………………………………………………….
1
How Resiliency Factors Contribute to the Understanding of Child Development…
1
Child Resiliency: Assessing Developmental Strengths
I. Holistic Approach to Understanding What Contributes to Child Resiliency…….…
2
II. Extrinsic Components that Contribute to Child Resiliency Development……….…
3
Importance of Family-Related Strengths
Importance of Community-Related Strengths
Importance of Peer-Related Strengths
Importance of School-Related Strengths
III. Intrinsic Components that Contribute to Child Resiliency Development…………..
5
Importance of Empowerment
Importance of Self-Control
Importance of Self-Concept
Importance of Cultural Sensitivity
Importance of Social Sensitivity
C.
Your Communities Child Resiliency Profile Summary
I. Summary of Child Demographic Characteristics…….……………………………
6
II. Extrinsic Resiliency Factors & Developmental Strengths………………………….
10
Extrinsic Strengths that Contribute to Child Resiliency in Your Community….
11
Extrinsic Strengths of Child: Response Percentages (By Gender/Grade)……...
12
III. Intrinsic Resiliency Factors & Developmental Strengths…………………………..
13
Intrinsic Strengths that Contribute to Child Resiliency in Your Community.….
14
Intrinsic Strengths of Child: Response Percentages (By Gender/Grade)….…..
15
Average Number of Child Developmental Strengths “27.0”……..…………..
16
IV. Resistance to At-Risk Behaviours…………………………………….…………….
17
V. Participation in Positive/Constructive Behaviours………………………………....
18
D.
Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours
Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours…………
E.
Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Promote Positive Behaviours
Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Promote Positive Behaviours………………
F.
G.
19
26
Suggestions and Recommendations
I. Establishing A Goal…………………………………………………………………
33
II. How to Encourage Child Resiliency in Our Communities…………………………
34
Appendices
A. List of demographic items with response percentages by total sample, gender, and
grade level.
B. List of resiliency/developmental strengths items with separate statistical indicators
(i.e., mean, medium, mode and standard deviation) by total sample, gender, and
grade level.
C. List of at-risk, positive/constructive behaviour items with response percentages by
total sample, gender, and grade level.
This Comprehensive Report was funded through a Social Research Grant by The United Way of Greater Toronto and
prepared by Resiliency Canada, a Calgary-based non-profit research and educational organization focused on child,
adolescent and family development as it pertains to resiliency. The information in this report may be reproduced and
distributed at the discretion of the party contracting the questionnaire study. Resiliency Canada will treat this report as
confidential. To further the understanding and research of child resiliency and development, Resiliency Canada
reserves the right to add the data collected from this study to its larger child, youth and family resiliency
developmental strengths database.
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
A.
1
Introduction
This comprehensive report provides a look at the resiliency factors and developmental
strengths that contribute to the health and well-being of all children and youth. As opposed to the
problem-focus approach of dealing with specific at-risk behaviours, the purpose of Resiliency
Canada’s Child Resiliency: Assessing Developmental Strengths questionnaire is to provide a
statistically sound and research-based approach to understanding the strengths that are related to
long-term resiliency. The concept of protective or resiliency factors has been prevalent in the social
science and health-related research communities for decades. Working from this strength-based
model of understanding child development, Resiliency Canada emphasizes the positive aspects of
individual differences in understanding what extrinsic and intrinsic strengths contribute to optimal
child, adolescent and family development.
I.
Understanding Child and Youth Resiliency
Child resiliency can be defined as the capability of children and adolescents to cope
successfully in the face of stress-related, at-risk or adversarial situations. Resiliency Canada’s
primary goal is to provide an understanding through applied and scientific research of why some
children are more resilient than others in the face of adversity. Based on this research, and the
literature on resiliency and child development, the 31 developmental strengths framework identifies
the protective factors that encourage and enhance the well-being and development of all children and
youth in our communities.
How Resiliency Factors Contribute to the Understanding of Child Development
From time to time, most children experience considerable stress, hardship and misfortune as a
result of various personal and/or situational experiences. While some of these children may develop
serious and long-term educational, psychological and social problems, a greater number grow up to
lead healthy and productive lives in adulthood. In a review of the literature and research on the
development of resiliency, stress-resistant or “invulnerable” child have common resiliency factors
operating as two broad sets of developmental strengths which encourage and support the coping skills
of children and adolescents:
•
extrinsic factors such as family, peers, school and community, and
•
intrinsic factors or personality characteristics such as empowerment, self-control, cultural
sensitivity, self-concept and social sensitivity.
As such, the developmental strengths that contribute to resiliency exist within the individual
and through the situational and relational experiences related to family, peers, school and community.
In particular, the additive effect of both intrinsic and extrinsic strengths have shown that children are
able to cope with adversity more effectively than those that experience few of the developmental
strengths. This becomes apparent when developmental strengths are compared with individual
attitudes and behaviours. As demonstrated below, higher categories of combined intrinsic and
extrinsic strengths experienced by children correspond to more positive or constructive use of time
and less engagement in at-risk behaviours or activities.
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
B.
2
Child Resiliency: Assessing Developmental Strengths
Resiliency Canada presents the child developmental strengths framework as a viable model to
understanding the major components that contribute to the resiliency development and well-being of
children in our communities. The resiliency factors/developmental strengths represent fundamental
elements found to be essential for all children to become productive and responsible adults in society.
I.
Holistic Approach to Understanding What Contributes to Child Resiliency
Intended to be comprehensive in nature, the developmental strengths framework shown below
illustrates the child resiliency profile from which your results are formulated and reported. Utilizing
a holistic approach to understanding the resiliency factors that contribute to human development, the
diagram depicts the extrinsic (outer ring) and intrinsic (inner pie) strengths related to child resiliency.
Child Resiliency: Assessing Developmental Strengths and the 31 Developmental Strengths resiliency framework
presented in this comprehensive report are copyright © 2003 by Resiliency Canada.
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
3
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
II.
Extrinsic Components that Contribute to Child Resiliency Development
The extrinsic resiliency factors recognized as contributing to the protective elements of child
resiliency and the establishment of developmental strengths are family, peers, school and community.
Subsequently, nurturing resiliency development amongst our children requires inter-collaborative
efforts of agencies organizations, municipalities and provincial/federal governments with children,
families, schools and communities.
Importance of Family-Related Strengths
The family resiliency factor consists of six developmental strengths, each identified as
protective elements that lead to positive child development. In particular, resiliency development in
the form of parental support comes from the having a caring family, effective family communications,
adult family members as role models and strong family support strengths. Also important to the
development of child resiliency are parental expectations through parental involvement in school and
the establishment of high expectations.
Community
Family
Neighbourhood Caring
Boundaries Family
Family
Community
Communication
Values Children
Adult Family Members As
Adult
Role Models
Relationships
Caring
Neighbourhood
Family Support
Parental Involvement in
Schooling
High Expectations
School
High Expectations
Parents
Bonding to
School
Positive Peer
Relationships
Caring School
Climate
School Culture
School
Boundaries
School
Work
Positive
Peer Influence
Achievement
School
Engagement
Peers
Learning at School
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
4
The family resiliency factor is an important component of the resiliency framework, as shown above,
and has been found to play an essential role in the formation of children’s developmental strengths.
Importance of Peer-Related Strengths
Approaching the end of childhood, children begin to look more towards their peers for
support directly and indirectly. With the onset of later childhood and the greater expectations that
come with this stage in their development, children tend to connect with peers to help them in the
development of their own individual personality. The peer resiliency factor consists of two
developmental strengths, each identified as contributing to positive child development. In particular,
resiliency development in the form of appropriate peer relationships is reflected in the positive peer
relationships, and positive peer influence strengths.
Importance of School-Related Strengths
The school resiliency factors consist of two broad categories: school culture and commitment
to learning at school. An integral part of most children’s development will be determined by the
commitment of time and effort they place in our schools to becoming well educated and socially
responsible individuals. The school culture resiliency factor consists of four developmental
strengths, each identified as being protective school environment strengths that lead to positive child
development; school boundaries, caring school climate, bonding to school, and high expectations. In
addition, the commitment to learning at school resiliency factor provides an indication of children’s
extrinsic commitment to school engagement, achievement aspirations and completion of school work
related activities and assignments.
Importance of Community-Related Strengths
Of the protective factors that contribute to child resiliency development, community-based
strengths receive the least attention and, subsequently, are one of children’s greatest need for action.
Although target specific interventions tend to focus on intrinsic, family, or school-related issues, the
community-related factor is well represented in the literature as essential to the development of
resiliency strengths. Correspondingly, the community service sectors have generally demonstrated
that they are more flexible to responding to the needs of children through various services and
programs. The community-based resiliency factor consists of four developmental strengths: caring
neighbourhood, adult relationships, community values children and neighbourhood boundaries.
The extrinsic resiliency factors shown above are important components of the child and youth
resiliency framework and have been found to play essential roles in the formation of children’s
developmental strengths. In a review of the literature and research on resiliency, children that have
caring families, positive peer relationships, supportive schools and compassionate communities, tend
to cope with adversity more effectively than children and youth that do not experience these extrinsic
factors. The importance of these findings assists us in recognizing that the fundamental approach to
building child resiliency derives from the strengths that currently exist within our communities.
Subsequently, children will tend to draw on the extrinsic strengths they encounter in their daily lives
to overcome hardship and participate in positive and healthy lifestyles choices.
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
5
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
III.
Intrinsic Components that Contribute to Child Resiliency Development
The intrinsic factors that contribute to the protective elements and the child and youth
resiliency developmental strengths framework are empowerment, self-control, self-concept, cultural
sensitivity and social sensitivity.
Importance of Empowerment
Empowerment of children is related to having a sense of safety (i.e., non-threatening
environment) that is connected to, a large degree, having a feeling of control over their destiny.
Importance of Self-Control
Children that have been found to have restraint and resistant skills are less likely to
participate in at-risk behaviours and are more capable of avoiding trouble or saying “no” to adversity.
Importance of Self-Concept
The self-concept resiliency factor provides insights into children’s planning and decisionmaking skills, beliefs about their own capabilities (self-efficacy) and sense of purpose (self-esteem).
Importance of Cultural Sensitivity
With the diversity of cultures that exist in our communities and the easy access to information
about all peoples through telecommunication networks, cultural awareness, acceptance and
spirituality have become important components of child resiliency.
Importance of Social Sensitivity
Part of the fundamental values and beliefs we share in our communities and society as a
whole are that we are caring of others, have empathy for those around us, and believe in the
importance of equality and social justice for all.
It is important to note that the development of intrinsic resiliency factors will depend largely on the
extrinsic-related strengths that children experience in their day-to-day routines. As such, the strength
of the intrinsic factors will be influenced by the degree of support and quality of relationships
children have with family, peers, teachers and staff in schools, and the community at large.
Empowerment
Caring
Social Sensitivity
Empathy
Safety
Restraint
Self-Control
Equity &
Social
Justice
Resistance
Skills
Planning &
DecisionMaking
Spirituality
Cultural Sensitivity
Acceptance
Cultural
Aw areness
SelfEfficacy
Self-Esteem
Self-Concept
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
6
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
C.
Your Communities Child Resiliency Profile Summary
The results outlined below from the use of the Child Resiliency: Assessing Developmental
Strengths questionnaire in your schools/communities, are presented in such a manner as to allow for
optimal interpretation and use of the information collected from the data. In particular, this report is
designed to provide you with an understanding of the resiliency factors and intrinsic/extrinsic
strengths children in your community rely on to overcome the adversity they face in their lives.
The questionnaire was administered in May, 2005, and represents results from children in
grades 3 – 6 in East and West Toronto Public Health Communities, Toronto, ON (see below).
I.
Summary of Child Demographic Characteristics
Total Sample
Number of Children
422
Percent of Total
100
East Community
West Community
Flemingdon
Chalkfarm
Falstaff
Daystrom
Gracedale
186
51
68
90
27
44.1
12.1
16.1
21.3
6.4
Sex
Boy
Girl
(Missing)
198
181
(43)
46.9
42.9
(10.2)
Age
8
9
10
11
12 years or older
84
112
95
70
61
19.9
26.5
22.5
16.6
14.5
Grade
3
4
5
6
109
114
87
112
25.8
27.0
20.6
26.5
Family Setting
Live with both parents
Live with mother only
Live with father only
Sometimes mother & father
Mother or Father & a step-parent
Live with a guardian
(Missing)
314
67
4
15
15
3
(4)
74.4
15.9
0.9
3.6
3.6
0.7
(0.9)
Attend After School
Program?
Yes
No
(Missing)
176
243
(3)
41.7
57.6
(0.7)
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
7
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
Have You Ever
Moved?
Yes
No
(Missing)
301
118
(3)
71.3
28.0
(0.7)
If Yes, How Many
Times?
Once
Twice
3 Times
4 Times
5 or More Times
(Missing)
131
47
48
29
31
(15)
43.5
15.6
15.9
9.6
10.3
(5.0)
How Long Ago Was
the Last Move?
Less Than 1 Year Ago
1 to 2 Years Ago
2 to 3 Years Ago
3 to 5 Years Ago
More Than 5 Years Ago
(Missing)
24
55
41
74
43
(64)
8.0
18.3
13.6
24.6
14.3
(21.3)
Have You Ever
Changed Schools?
Yes
No
(Missing)
185
211
(26)
50.0
43.8
(6.2)
If Yes, How Many
Times?
Once
Twice
3 Times
4 Times
5 or More Times
(Missing)
98
35
26
6
13
(7)
53.0
19.0
14.1
3.2
7.0
(3.8)
How Long Ago Was
the Last Change?
Less Than 1 Year Ago
1 to 2 Years Ago
2 to 3 Years Ago
3 to 5 Years Ago
More Than 5 Years Ago
(Missing)
12
37
34
54
9
(39)
6.5
20.0
18.4
29.2
4.9
(21.1)
How Long Have You
Lived in the
Community You Now
Live in?
Less Than 1 Year
1 to 2 Years
3 Years
4 Years
5 or More Years Ago
(Missing)
29
68
54
82
170
(19)
6.9
16.1
12.8
19.4
40.3
(4.5)
Ethnic or Cultural
Ancestry
(Note: 7.6% of children
Canadian
French
Chinese
40
2
12
9.5
0.5
2.8
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
8
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
indicated more than one
ancestry)
Korean
Other European
Somalian
African
Aboriginal Peoples
Latin-American
Filipino
West Indian
English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
South East Asian
South Asian
Arab
Don’t Know
(Missing)
Other Language
Spoken at Home
English
French
Chinese
Spanish
Arabic
Urdu
Filipino
Vietnamese
Swahili
Farsi
German
Hindi
Somalian
Bengali
Punjabi
Tamil
Korean
Russian
Kurdish
Polish
Pashto
Persian
Hokkien
Yoruba
Edo
Patois
12
16
61
19
1
23
2
20
6
18
154
17
10
(5)
2.8
3.8
14.5
4.5
0.2
5.5
0.5
4.7
1.4
4.3
36.5
4.0
2.4
(1.2)
71
9
10
24
10
31
1
8
2
3
1
15
45
6
23
59
11
4
1
1
2
2
1
2
2
6
16.8
2.1
2.4
5.7
2.4
7.3
0.2
1.9
0.5
0.7
0.2
3.6
10.7
1.4
5.5
14.0
2.6
0.9
0.2
0.2
0.5
0.5
0.2
0.5
0.5
1.4
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
9
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
Parsi
Gujarti
Sinhala
Pidgin
Dari
Turkish
Greek
Serbian
Thai
Tigrigna
(Missing)
Total Sample
2
5
2
1
1
2
3
2
1
2
(49)
0.5
1.2
0.5
0.2
0.2
0.5
0.7
0.5
0.2
0.5
(11.6)
Number of Child
422
Percent of Total
100
Father’s Highest Level
of Education
Junior high school or less
High school
Trade, Tech or Vocation
Some college or university
Post-Sec. diploma or degree
Do not know
(Missing)
14
66
10
56
113
95
(68)
3.3
15.6
2.4
13.3
26.8
22.5
(16.1)
Mother’s Highest Level
of Education
Junior high school or less
High school
Trade, Tech or Vocation
Some college or university
Post-Sec. diploma or degree
Do not know
(Missing)
26
72
8
73
91
88
(64)
6.2
17.1
1.9
17.3
21.6
20.9
(15.2)
Note: To maintain continuity and the ability to make general comparisons with other schools
and communities, we have recommended and encouraged the use of the questionnaire administration
guidelines. This report represents an aggregated summary of the data completed by individuals/
students anonymously. As such, to ensure complete anonymity we have specified that there be no
individual/student identification indicators reported on the questionnaires.
To provide an accurate Child Resiliency Profile Summary report, individual questionnaires
are screened for inconsistencies and frequency of missing responses. Questionnaires that are
removed from the final aggregated summary represent less than 2 to 3 percent. We recommend
caution in making broad generalizations from your report if you have less than a representative small
of the children from the total possible number of respondents by sample total, gender and grade. For
example, if you have only sampled males in your community/school, you could not make statements
about developmental strengths or attitudes/behaviours from your results that would include females
in your community/school.
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
10
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
II.
Extrinsic Resiliency Factors & Developmental Strengths
Percent of Children that Report Having Each of the Extrinsic Resiliency Factors/Strengths
Resiliency Factors
Parental Support
Parental Expectations
Peer Relationships
Commitment to Learning
At School
School Culture
Community Cohesiveness
Strengths
Percent
Caring Family
97
Family Communication
92
Adult Family Members As Role Models
95
Family Support
95
Parental Involvement in Schooling
94
High Expectations Parents
97
Positive Peer Relationships
88
Positive Peer Influence
82
Achievement
99
School Engagement
97
School Related Work Activities
88
School Boundaries
88
Bonding to School
94
Caring School Climate
92
High Expectations School
96
Caring Neighbourhood
74
Community Values Children
69
Adult Relationships
66
Neighbourhood Boundaries
70
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
11
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
Extrinsic Strengths that Contribute to the Youth Resiliency Development
in Your Community
0
25
50
75
100
Caring Family
97
Family Communication
92
Adult Family Members As Role Models
95
Family Support
95
Parental Involvement in Schooling
94
High Expectations Parents
97
Positive Peer Relationships
88
82
Positive Peer Influences
Achievement at School
99
School Engagement
97
School Related Work
88
School Boundaries
88
Bonding to School
94
Caring School Climate
92
High Expectations School
96
Caring Neighbourhood
74
Community Values Youth
Adult Relationships
Neighbourhood Boundaries
69
66
70
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
12
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
Extrinsic Strengths of Children: Response Percentages (by total sample, gender, and grade level)
Percent
Extrinsic Resiliency Factors/
Total
Developmental Strengths
Gender
Grade
M
F
3
4
5
6
Parental Support
Caring Family
97
98
96
99
95
99
95
Family Communication
92
91
94
94
90
97
93
Adult Family Members as Role Models
95
95
95
94
90
99
98
Family Support
95
95
94
97
93
97
94
Parental Involvement in Education
94
95
93
94
94
95
93
High Expectations
97
98
96
95
96
97
98
Positive Peer Relationships
88
87
89
92
80
89
93
Positive Peer Influences
82
82
83
86
79
85
80
Achievement
99
99
100
99
98
100
99
School Engagement
97
95
98
100
94
99
94
School Related Homework & Assignments
88
87
90
95
87
91
83
School Boundaries
88
89
87
92
91
92
81
Bonding to School
94
93
95
97
94
87
91
Caring School Climate
92
91
93
98
92
91
90
High Expectations
96
97
95
98
98
95
94
Caring Neighbourhood
74
72
76
78
69
72
74
Community Values Children
69
66
72
76
65
62
67
Adult Relationships
66
66
66
68
64
63
67
Neighbourhood Boundaries
70
66
75
76
70
58
73
Parental Expectations
Peer Relationships
Commitment to Learning at School
School Culture
Community Cohesiveness
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
13
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
III.
Intrinsic Resiliency Factors & Developmental Strengths
Percent of Children that Report Having Each of the Intrinsic Resiliency Factors/Strengths
Resiliency Factors
Cultural Sensitivity
Strengths
Percent
Cultural Awareness
66
Acceptance
81
Spirituality
89
Restraint
90
Resistance Skills
94
Empowerment
Safety
75
Self-Concept
Planning and Decision-Making
80
Self-Efficacy
95
Self-Esteem
92
Empathy
89
Caring
92
Equity & Social Justice
93
Self-Control
Social Sensitivity
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
14
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
Intrinsic Strengths that Contribute to the Youth Resiliency Development in Your Community
0
Cultural Aw areness
25
50
75
100
66
Acceptance
81
Spirituality
89
Restraint
90
Resistance Skills
Safety
Planning and Decision-Making
94
75
80
Self-Efficacy
95
Self-Esteem
Empathy
Caring of Others
Equity and Social Justice
92
89
92
93
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
15
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
Intrinsic Strengths of Child: Response Percentages (by total sample, gender, and grade level)
Percent
Intrinsic Resiliency Factors/
Total
Developmental Strengths
Gender
Grade
M
F
3
4
5
6
Cultural Sensitivity
Cultural Awareness
66
62
71
74
64
67
55
Acceptance
81
80
82
84
79
82
81
Spirituality
89
87
92
95
88
89
89
Restraint
90
89
92
88
90
93
92
Resistance Skills
94
92
96
95
94
97
89
75
78
71
73
68
77
78
Planning and Decision-Making
80
80
79
80
78
81
86
Self-Efficacy
95
95
96
93
95
97
96
Self-Esteem
92
92
91
89
92
93
93
Empathy
89
86
92
90
92
87
86
Caring of Others
92
92
92
96
92
92
85
Equity & Social Justice
93
92
94
92
96
89
92
Self-Control
Empowerment
Safety
Self-Concept
Social Sensitivity
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
16
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
From East and West Communities
In Toronto Public Health Area, Toronto, ON
Average Number of Child Developmental Strengths
“27.1”
Number of
Developmental Strengths
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
00 – 05
1
0.2
0.2
0.2
06 – 10
3
0.7
0.7
0.9
11 – 15
7
1.7
1.7
2.6
16 – 20
28
6.6
6.6
9.2
21 – 25
70
16.6
16.6
25.8
26 – 31
313
74.2
74.2
100.0
Total
422
100.0
100.0
100.0
90.0
74.2
80.0
Percent
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
16.6
20.0
10.0
0.2
0.7
1.7
00-05
06-10
11-15
6.6
0.0
16-20
21-25
26-31
Developmental Strengths Categories
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
IV.
17
Resistance To At-Risk Behaviours
Percent of Children that Report the Ability to Resist Participation in At-Risk Behaviours
Negative
Domain
At-Risk Behaviour
A Child is considered to be resistant if he/she…
Percent
Tobacco
Cigarette/chewing
tobacco use
Has not smoked cigarettes or chewed tobacco in the past
month
97
Alcohol
Frequent alcohol use
Has not used alcohol in the past month
93
Binge drinking
(grades 5 & 6 only)
Has not consumed enough alcohol at once to induce a
state of intoxication in the past year
95
Illicit
Drugs
Use of illicit drugs
(grades 5 & 6 only)
Has not used marijuana in the past month
96
Has not used harmful substances/drugs in the past year
96
Gambling
Gambling or playing
the lottery
Has not gambled or played the lottery in last month
90
At-Risk
Social
Behaviour
Vandalism
Has not defaced or damaged property just for fun in the
past year
86
Bullying
Has not been involved with bullying another person in the
past month
82
Theft
Has not stolen something from a store in the past year
91
Weapon Concealment
(grades 5 & 6 only)
Has not carried a concealed weapon to protect oneself in
the past year
94
Violence
Has not physical hit or beat up someone in the past year
80
Avoidance
Watches television or videos less than 3 hours on a typical
weekday
59
Plays video games or surfs the internet less than 3 hours
on a typical weekday
67
Victimized
Bullied
Has not been pick on or bullied in the past month
65
School
Problems
Truancy
Has not skipped school in the past month
81
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
V.
18
Participation in Positive/Constructive Behaviours
Percent of Children that Reported Participating in Positive/Constructive Behaviours
Positive
Domain
Positive Behaviour
A Child shows positive behaviours if he/she has…
Percent
Leadership
Takes leadership roles
Been a leader in a group or organization 2 or more times
in the past year
67
Volunteerism
Volunteers time in
community
Been a volunteer or helped out in the community at least
once in the last week
83
Creativity
Takes music, drama,
art or dance lessons
Participated in music, drama, art or dance lessons one or
more times a week
65
Physical
Activities
Exercises daily
Doing physical activities that exercise the body for 1 or
more hours a day
72
Exercises regularly at
school
Participating in physical activities in school on a regular
basis 3 or more times a week
76
Exercises regularly in
the community
Participating in physical activities in the community on
a regular basis 3 or more times a week
53
Spiritual
Activities
Attends weekly
spiritual activities
Attended spiritual/religious/faith activities on a regular
weekly basis
68
Delayed
Gratification
Ability to save money
Is able to save money for something special rather than
spending it all right away
71
Persistence
Does not give up easily
Will not give up when things become difficult
80
Health Diet
Maintains a healthy
food intake
Stays healthy by eating good foods
80
Academic
Excellence
Works hard to achieve
high grades
Compared with other students in the same grade,
perceive that they are doing much better than average
53
Does homework on a
regular basis
Completed 3 or more hours of homework during a week
of regular school days
67
Personal
Development
Reading for pleasure
Read for pleasure 3 or more times during the last week
56
Social
Development
Cultural Awareness
Perceive that they have a good understanding of people
from different cultures
54
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
19
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
D.
The Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours
The chart below shows how important resiliency factors/strengths are to children in helping
them to restraint from risk-taking behaviours. The research consistently demonstrates that children
with higher resiliency factors and developmental strengths are less likely to be involved with a
number of risk-taking activities. The average number of 10 risk-taking behaviours from all children
surveyed are grouped by six strength categories (0 – 20, 21 – 25, and 26 – 31). There are 14
questions that measure risk-taking behaviours such as substance abuse (alcohol, tobacco, and illicit
drugs), antisocial behaviour, violence, school problems, and gambling.
Average Number of At-Risk Behaviours
10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
3.1
2.1
1.6
2.0
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Developmental Strengths Categories
The figures that follow provide the specific percentages between categories for each of the 10
at-risk behaviour indicators shown in the total above. To assist in the interpretation of the results,
differences between the two extreme groupings (i.e., 00 – 20 and 26 – 31 developmental strength
categories) are marked with a number that approximates the difference (e.g., “2” = 2-fold increase,
“10” = 10-fold increase,…). Differences are flagged with a caution
or danger
sign.
An arrow > and percentage % indicates an overall average that may be considered to be high.
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
20
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
The Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours
Tobacco Products (During Last Month)
30.0
25.0
20.0
Percent
The percentage of
children from
within each of the
3 categories that
smoked cigarettes
or chewed tobacco
at least once
during the last
month are shown
to the right.
For this at-risk
indicator, we
suggest that you
consider using
Appendix C to
make comparison
between gender
and grades.
15.0
10.3
10.0
5.0
2.9
1.6
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
6
Drank Alcohol (During Last Month)
The percentage of
children from
within each of the
3 categories that
drank alcohol at
least once during
the last month are
shown to the right.
4
30.0
Percent
For this at-risk
indicator, we
suggest that you
consider using
Appendix C to
make comparison
between gender
and grades.
40.0
20.0
17.9
11.4
10.0
4.5
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
21
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
The Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours
Got Drunk (During Last Year)
40.0
30.0
Percent
The percentage of
children from
within each of the
3 categories that
have consumed
enough alcohol to
induce intoxication
once in the past
year are shown to
the right.
For this at-risk
indicator, we
suggest that you
consider using
Appendix C to
make comparison
between gender
and grades.
20.0
18.4
10.0
4.3
3.5
21-25
26-31
0.0
00-20
Number of Developmental Strengths
5
For this at-risk
indicator, we
suggest that you
consider using
Appendix C to
make comparison
between gender
and grades.
2
Carried a Concealed Weapon To Protect Oneself
(At Least Once During Last Year)
30.0
20.0
Percent
The percentage of
children from
within each of the
3 categories that
carried a concealed
weapon to protect
oneself in the past
year are shown to
the right.
11.1
10.0
7.2
5.1
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
22
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
The Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours
Gambled or Played the Lottery (During the Last Month)
50.0
40.0
Percent
The percentage of
children from
within each of the
3 categories that
gambled or played
the lottery at least
once during the
last month are
shown to the right.
For this at-risk
indicator, we
suggest that you
consider using
Appendix C to
make comparison
between gender
and grades.
30.0
23.1
20.0
14.3
7.4
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
3
The percentage of
children from
within each of the
3 categories that
stole something
from a store in the
past year are
shown to the right.
2
50.0
40.0
Percent
For this at-risk
indicator, we
suggest that you
consider using
Appendix C to
make comparison
between gender
and grades.
Stolen Something From a Store (During the Last Year)
30.0
20.0
18.4
11.4
7.4
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
23
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
The Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours
Defaced or Damaged Property Just for Fun
(At Least Once in Last Year)
50.0
40.0
Percent
The percentage of
children from
within each of the
3 categories that
defaced or
damaged property
just for fun at least
once in the past
year are shown to
the right.
30.0
20.0
18.4
15.9
13.4
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
For this at-risk
indicator, we
suggest that you
consider using
Appendix C to
make comparison
between gender
and grades.
> 15%
2
Involved with Bullying Another Person
(At Least Once in Last Month)
60.0
50.0
40.0
Percent
The percentage of
children from
within each of the
3 categories that
were picked on or
bullied at least
once in the last
month are shown
to the right.
31.4
30.0
25.6
20.0
13.9
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
24
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
The Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours
For this at-risk
indicator, we
suggest that you
consider using
Appendix C to
make comparison
between gender
and grades.
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
28.6
30.0
16.7
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
2
The percentage of
children from
within each of the
3 categories that
play video games
or surf the internet
for at least 3 hours
or more a day are
shown to the right.
34.2
20.0
Surf the Internet or Play Video Games
(At Least 3 Hours or M ore a Day)
70.0
60.0
50.0
Percent
> 20%
Hit or Beat Up Someone (During Last Year)
Percent
The percentage of
children from
within each of the
3 categories that
hit or beat up
someone at least
once in the last
year are shown to
the right.
40.0
34.2
30.0
30.0
33.2
20.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
25
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
The Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours
For this at-risk
indicator, we
suggest that you
consider using
Appendix C to
make comparison
between gender
and grades.
> 40%
Watches TV or Videos/DVDs (At Least 3 Hours or More a Day)
90.0
80.0
70.0
40.0
2
37.1
38.4
21-25
26-31
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
Number of Developmental Strengths
Skipped School (At Least Once in Last Month)
The percentage of
children from
within each of the
3 categories that
skipped school at
least once during
the last month are
shown to the right.
> 15%
50.0
2
70.0
60.0
50.0
Percent
For this at-risk
indicator, we
suggest that you
consider using
Appendix C to
make comparison
between gender
and grades.
65.8
60.0
Percent
The percentage of
children from
within each of the
3 categories that sit
in front of a TV for
at least 3 hours or
more a day are
shown to the right.
40.0
35.9
30.0
20.0
18.8
17.3
21-25
26-31
10.0
0.0
00-20
Number of Developmental Strengths
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
26
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
E.
The Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Promote Positive/Constructive Behaviours
The chart below shows how important resiliency factors/strengths are to children in helping
them to engage in positive and constructive behaviours. The research consistently demonstrates that
children with higher resiliency factors and developmental strengths are more likely to be involved
with a number of positive and constructive activities. The average number of 14 positive behaviours
from all children surveyed are grouped by six strength categories (0 – 20, 21 – 25, and 26 – 31).
There are 16 questions that measure the constructive indicators (success in school, values diversity,
helps others, maintains good health, volunteerism, exhibits leadership, resists danger, delays
gratification, and overcomes adversity)
Average Number of Positive/Constructive Behaviours .
14.0
12.0
10.5
10.0
8.0
8.9
7.8
6.0
4.0
2.0
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Developmental Strengths Categories
The figures that follow provide the specific percentages between categories for each of the 14
positive behaviour indicators shown in the total above. To assist in the interpretation of the results,
differences between the two extreme groupings (i.e., 00 – 20 and 26 – 31 developmental strength
categories) are marked with a number that approximates the difference (e.g., “2” = 2-fold increase,
“10” = 10-fold increase,…). Differences are flagged with a caution
or danger
sign.
An arrow < and percentage % indicates an overall average that may be considered low.
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
27
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
The Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Promote Positive/Constructive Behaviours
Been a Leader in a Group or Organization
(At Least Twice in the Last Year)
90.0
80.0
70.0
65.8
65.7
67.5
00-20
21-25
26-31
60.0
Percent
The percentage of
children, from
within each of the
3 categories that
have been a leader
in a group or
organization at
least twice in the
last year are shown
to the right.
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
Number of Developmental Strengths
The percentage of
children, from
within each of the
3 categories that
volunteers in the
community at least
once a week are
shown to the right.
Volunteers in the Community (At Least Once a Week)
100.0
89.0
90.0
80.0
Percent
70.0
66.7
65.7
00-20
21-25
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
28
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
The Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Promote Positive/Constructive Behaviours
For this positive
indicator, we
suggest that you
consider using
Appendix C to
make comparison
between gender
and grades.
Participates in Music, Drama, Art or Dance Lessons
(At Least Once a Week)
100.0
90.0
80.0
70.5
70.0
Percent
The percentage of
children, from
within each of the
3 categories that
participates in
creative activities
on a weekly basis
are shown to the
right.
60.0
50.0
51.5
43.6
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
2
Doing Things That Exercise Body (For at Least One Hour a Day)
100.0
90.0
75.9
80.0
70.0
Percent
The percentage of
children from
within each of the
3 categories that
participate in
physical activities
that exercise the
body for at least
one hour daily are
shown to the right.
63.2
57.1
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
29
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
The Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Promote Positive/Constructive Behaviours
Attend Spiritual/Religious/Faith Activities
(At Least Once a Week)
90.0
80.0
66.2
70.0
60.0
Percent
The percentage of
children, from
within each of the
3 categories that
attend spiritual/
religious/faith
activities at least
once a week are
shown to the right.
69.5
56.4
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Saves Money For Something Special Rather Than
Spending It All Right Away
100.0
90.0
74.9
80.0
70.0
Percent
The percentage of
children, from
within each of the
3 categories that
save money for
something special
rather than
spending it all
right away are
shown to the right.
60.0
59.0
59.4
00-20
21-25
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
30
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
The Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Promote Positive/Constructive Behaviours
Does Not Give Up When Things Get Difficult
The percentage of
children from
within each of the
3 categories that
do not give up
when things get
difficult are shown
to the right.
100.0
90.0
91.3
89.7
21-25
26-31
82.1
80.0
Percent
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
Number of Developmental Strengths
Stays Healthy By Eating Good Foods
The percentage of
children, from
within each of the
3 categories that
stay healthy by
eating good foods
are shown to the
right.
100.0
85.0
90.0
80.0
Percent
70.0
61.5
65.7
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
31
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
The Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Promote Positive/Constructive Behaviours
In Comparison with Other Students, Above Average
In Course Subjects
100.0
90.0
77.8
80.0
70.0
Percent
The percentage of
children from
within each of the
3 categories that in
comparison with
other students
achieve above
average grades in
course subjects are
shown to the right.
71.6
62.2
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Completed at Least 1/2 Hour of Homework Each School Day
100.0
90.0
80.0
70.0
Percent
The percentage of
children, from
within each of the
3 categories that
completed at least
one hour of
homework each
school day are
shown to the right.
84.5
69.2
73.9
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
32
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
The Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Promote Positive/Constructive Behaviours
For this positive
indicator, we
suggest that you
consider using
Appendix C to
make comparison
between gender
and grades.
Read For Pleasure (At Least Three Times a Week)
90.0
80.0
70.0
40.0
2
30.8
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Knows A Lot About People From Different Cultures
80.0
70.0
58.2
60.0
49.3
50.0
Percent
For this positive
indicator, we
suggest that you
consider using
Appendix C to
make comparison
between gender
and grades.
50.0
50.0
2
The percentage of
children, from
within each of the
3 categories that
know a lot about
people from
different cultures
are shown to the
right.
60.0
60.0
Percent
The percentage of
children from
within each of the
3 categories that
read for pleasure
on a regularly
basis are shown to
the right.
40.0
30.0
28.9
20.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-25
26-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
33
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
F.
Suggestions and Recommendations
I.
Establishing A Goal
The children from your school/community that were surveyed have on average 27.1 of the 31
developmental strengths. In order to promote resiliency and the well-being of our children,
Resiliency Canada encourages that all children have at least 21.0 strengths. Using the table and bar
chart below, this nearly ideal scenario could be used as an overlay to compare with your community
profile summary that was generated on page 17.
Number of
Developmental Strengths
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
00 – 05
0
0.0
0.0
0.0
06 – 10
0
0.0
0.0
0.0
11 – 15
0
0.0
0.0
0.0
16 – 20
0
0.0
0.0
0.0
21 – 25
250
25.0
25.0
25.0
26 – 31
750
75.0
75.0
100.0
Total
1000
100.0
100.0
00-05
06-10
100
90
80
Percent
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
11-15
16-20
21-25
26-30
Developmental Strengths Categories
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
II
34
How to Encourage Child Resiliency in Our Communities
In general, the children and adolescents in Canada are growing up in communities that
support healthy lifestyles and the well-being of children. We have also come to understand that a
wide range of physical, social, cultural and economic influences can either hinder or support child
development. As such, the Child Resiliency strength-based framework uses a holistic perspective
that looks at the resiliency factors that support and encourage our children to adopt healthy lifestyles
and positive attitudes/behaviours. By acknowledging the strengths that currently exist within our
communities, the key is to strive towards working inter-collaboratively to build capacity and engage
community in support of nurturing resiliency development in all children and youth.
NURTURING RESILIENCY DEVELOPMENT
Through Inter-Collaborative Efforts Of Organizations,
Municipalities & Provincial/Federal Governments
With Children, Families, Schools & Communities
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
35
Understanding Child Resiliency in Your Community
APPENDICES
Appendix A List of demographic items with response percentages by total sample, gender, and
grade level.
Appendix B List of resiliency/developmental strengths items with separate statistical indicators
(i.e., mean, medium, mode and standard deviation) by total sample, gender, and grade
level.
Example:
Median (the score that divides the distribution in half (50/50) –
like the median on a street that divides the road in half)
Mode (most popular or frequently occurring response)
Mean (or arithmetic average is the most commonly used
measure of central tendency)
50
40
Percent
30
20
10
0
1.0
2.0
Strongly
Agree
Agree
3.0
Neutral
4.0
Disagree
5.0
Strongly
Disagree
Appendix C List of at-risk, positive/constructive behaviour items with response percentages by
total sample, gender, and grade level.
Child Resiliency Profile Summary of research conducted in two communities located in the east and west parts
of the city of Toronto with funding through a Social Research Grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto
Comprehensive Report
Appendix B
Youth Developmental Strengths
Understanding Youth Resiliency in Your Community
Toronto East and West Communities
Funded by the United Way of Greater
Toronto
Toronto, Ontario
August 2006
Prepared by:
This Comprehensive Report may be reproduced and distributed at the discretion of the party contracting the
questionnaire study. Resiliency Canada will treat this report as confidential.
Copyright © 2003 by Resiliency Canada, a non-profit research and educational organization focused on child
and adolescent development as it pertains to resiliency and well-being.
Contents
A.
Introduction
I. Understanding Youth Resiliency…………………………………………….
4
How Resiliency Factors Contribute to the Understanding of Youth Development
B.
Youth Resiliency: Assessing Developmental Strengths
I. Holistic Approach to Understanding What Contributes to Youth Resiliency……………
II. Extrinsic Components that Contribute to Youth Resiliency Development……………..
5
6
Importance of Family-Related Strengths
Importance of Peer-Related Strengths
Importance of School-Related Strengths
Importance of Community-Related Strengths
III. Intrinsic Components that Contribute to Youth Resiliency Development…………….
9
Importance of Empowerment
Importance of Self-Control
Importance of Self-Concept
Importance of Cultural Sensitivity
Importance of Social Sensitivity
C.
Your Community’s Youth Resiliency Profile Summary
I. Summary of Youth Demographic Characteristics…….…………………………………
11
II. Extrinsic Resiliency Factors & Developmental Strengths………………… …….
20
Extrinsic Strengths that Contribute to Youth Resiliency in Your Community….
Extrinsic Strengths of Youth: Response Percentages (By Gender/Group)……...
Extrinsic Strengths of Youth by Four Developmental Strength Categories……..
23
III. Intrinsic Resiliency Factors & Developmental Strengths………………….……..
Intrinsic Strengths that Contribute to Youth Resiliency in Your Community.….
Intrinsic Strengths of Youth: Response Percentages (By Gender/Group)….…..
Intrinsic Strengths of Youth by Four Developmental Strength Categories………
Average Number of Youth Developmental Strengths 24.3
2
IV. Resistance to At-Risk Behaviours…………………………….…………….………….
30
V. Participation in Positive/Constructive Behaviours……………………………………....
31
D.
32
Importance of Resiliency/Strengths in Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours
Importance of Resiliency/Strengths in Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours…………
E.
Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Promote Positive Behaviours
41
Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Promote Positive Behaviours………………
F.
Suggestions and Recommendations
I. Establishing A Goal………………………………………………………………
48
II. How to Encourage Youth Resiliency in Our Communities………………………
49
This Comprehensive Report was funded through the United Way of Greater Toronto and prepared by
Resiliency Canada, a Calgary-based non-profit research and educational organization focused on child,
adolescent and family development as it pertains to resiliency. The information in this report may be
reproduced and distributed at the discretion of the party contracting the questionnaire study. Resiliency
Canada will treat this report as confidential. To further the understanding and research of child resiliency
and development, Resiliency Canada reserves the right to add the data collected from this study to its
larger child, youth and family resiliency developmental strengths database.
3
A.
Introduction
This comprehensive report provides a look at the resiliency factors and
developmental strengths that contribute to the health and well-being of all children and
youth. As opposed to the problem-focused approach of dealing with specific at-risk
behaviours, the purpose of Resiliency Canada’s Youth Resiliency: Assessing
Developmental Strengths questionnaire is to provide a statistically sound and researchbased approach to understanding the strengths that are related to long-term resiliency.
The concept of protective or resiliency factors has been prevalent in the social science
and health-related research communities for decades. Working from this strength-based
model of understanding child development, Resiliency Canada emphasizes the positive
aspects of individual differences in understanding what extrinsic and intrinsic strengths
contribute to optimal child, adolescent and family development.
I.
Understanding Child and Youth Resiliency
Resiliency can be defined as the capability of children and adolescents to cope
successfully in the face of stress-related, at-risk or adversarial situations. Resiliency
Canada’s primary goal is to provide an understanding through applied and scientific
research of why some children are more resilient than others in the face of adversity.
Based on this research, and the literature on resiliency and child development, the 31
developmental strengths framework identifies the protective factors that encourage and
enhance the well-being and development of all children and youth in our communities.
How Resiliency Factors Contribute to the Understanding of Child Development
From time to time, most children experience considerable stress, hardship and
misfortune as a result of various personal and/or situational experiences. While some of
these children may develop serious and long-term educational, psychological and social
problems, a greater number grow up to lead healthy and productive lives in adulthood. In
a review of the literature and research on the development of resiliency, stress-resistant or
“invulnerable” child have common resiliency factors operating as two broad sets of
developmental strengths which encourage and support the coping skills of children and
adolescents:
1
extrinsic factors such as family, peers, school and community, and
2
intrinsic factors or personality characteristics such as empowerment, self-control,
cultural sensitivity, self-concept and social sensitivity.
As such, the developmental strengths that contribute to resiliency exist within the
individual and through the situational and relational experiences related to family, peers,
school and community. In particular, the additive effect of both intrinsic and extrinsic
strengths have shown that children are able to cope with adversity more effectively than
those that experience few of the developmental strengths. This becomes apparent when
developmental strengths are compared with individual attitudes and behaviours. As
demonstrated below, higher categories of combined intrinsic and extrinsic strengths
experienced by children correspond to more positive or constructive use of time and less
engagement in at-risk behaviours or activities.
4
B.
Youth Resiliency: Assessing Developmental Strengths
Resiliency Canada presents the child developmental strengths framework as a
viable model to understanding the major components that contribute to the resiliency
development and well-being of children in our communities. The resiliency
factors/developmental strengths represent fundamental elements found to be essential for
all children to become productive and responsible adults in society.
I.
Holistic Approach to Understanding What Contributes to Child Resiliency
Intended to be comprehensive in nature, the developmental strengths framework
shown below illustrates the child resiliency profile from which your results are
formulated and reported. Utilizing a holistic approach to understanding the resiliency
factors that contribute to human development, the diagram depicts the extrinsic (outer
ring) and intrinsic (inner pie) strengths related to child resiliency.
Youth Resiliency: Assessing Developmental Strengths and the 31 Developmental Strengths resiliency framework
presented in this comprehensive report are copyright © 2003 by Resiliency Canada.
5
II.
Extrinsic Components that Contribute to Youth Resiliency Development
The extrinsic resiliency factors recognized as contributing to the protective
elements of child resiliency and the establishment of developmental strengths are family,
peers, school and community. Subsequently, nurturing resiliency development amongst
our children requires inter-collaborative efforts of agencies organizations, municipalities
and provincial/federal governments with children, families, schools and communities.
Importance of Family-Related Strengths
The family resiliency factor consists of six developmental strengths, each
identified as protective elements that lead to positive child development. In particular,
resiliency development in the form of parental support comes from the having a caring
family, effective family communications, adult family members as role models and strong
family support strengths. Also important to the development of child resiliency are
parental expectations through parental involvement in school and the establishment of
high expectations.
Neighbourhood Caring
Boundaries Family
Family
Community
Communication
Values Children
Adult Family Members As
Adult
Role Models
Relationships
Caring
Neighbourhood
Family Support
Parental Involvement in
Schooling
High Expectations
School
High Expectations
Parents
Bonding to
School
Positive Peer
Relationships
Caring School
Climate
School
Boundaries
School
Work
Positive
Peer Influence
Achievement
School
Engagement
6
The family resiliency factor is an important component of the resiliency framework, as
shown above, and has been found to play an essential role in the formation of children’s
developmental strengths.
Importance of Peer-Related Strengths
Approaching the end of childhood, children begin to look more towards their
peers for support directly and indirectly. With the onset of later childhood and the greater
expectations that come with this stage in their development, children tend to connect with
peers to help them in the development of their own individual personality. The peer
resiliency factor consists of two developmental strengths, each identified as contributing
to positive child development. In particular, resiliency development in the form of
appropriate peer relationships is reflected in the positive peer relationships, and positive
peer influence strengths.
Importance of School-Related Strengths
The school resiliency factors consist of two broad categories: school culture and
commitment to learning at school. An integral part of most children’s development will
be determined by the commitment of time and effort they place in our schools to
becoming well educated and socially responsible individuals. The school culture
resiliency factor consists of four developmental strengths, each identified as being
protective school environment strengths that lead to positive child development; school
boundaries, caring school climate, bonding to school, and high expectations. In addition,
the commitment to learning at school resiliency factor provides an indication of
children’s extrinsic commitment to school engagement, achievement aspirations and
completion of school work related activities and assignments.
Importance of Community-Related Strengths
Of the protective factors that contribute to child resiliency development,
community-based strengths receive the least attention and, subsequently, are one of
children’s greatest need for action. Although target specific interventions tend to focus
on intrinsic, family, or school-related issues, the community-related factor is well
represented in the literature as essential to the development of resiliency strengths.
Correspondingly, the community service sectors have generally demonstrated that they
are more flexible to responding to the needs of children through various services and
programs. The community-based resiliency factor consists of four developmental
strengths: caring neighbourhood, adult relationships, community values children and
neighbourhood boundaries.
The extrinsic resiliency factors shown above are important components of the child and
youth resiliency framework and have been found to play essential roles in the formation
of children’s developmental strengths. In a review of the literature and research on
resiliency, children that have caring families, positive peer relationships, supportive
schools and compassionate communities, tend to cope with adversity more effectively
than children and youth that do not experience these extrinsic factors. The importance of
7
these findings assists us in recognizing that the fundamental approach to building child
resiliency derives from the strengths that currently exist within our communities.
Subsequently, children will tend to draw on the extrinsic strengths they encounter in their
daily lives to overcome hardship and participate in positive and healthy lifestyles choices.
8
III.
Intrinsic Components that Contribute to Youth Resiliency Development
The intrinsic factors that contribute to the protective elements and the child and
youth resiliency developmental strengths framework are empowerment, self-control, selfconcept, cultural sensitivity and social sensitivity.
Importance of Empowerment
Empowerment of children is related to having a sense of safety (i.e., nonthreatening environment) that is connected to, a large degree, having a feeling of control
over their destiny.
Importance of Self-Control
Children that have been found to have restraint and resistant skills are less likely
to participate in at-risk behaviours and are more capable of avoiding trouble or saying
“no” to adversity.
Importance of Self-Concept
The self-concept resiliency factor provides insights into children’s planning and
decision-making skills, beliefs about their own capabilities (self-efficacy) and sense of
purpose (self-esteem).
Importance of Cultural Sensitivity
With the diversity of cultures that exist in our communities and the easy access to
information about all peoples through telecommunication networks, cultural awareness,
acceptance and spirituality have become important components of child resiliency.
Importance of Social Sensitivity
Part of the fundamental values and beliefs we share in our communities and
society as a whole are that we are caring of others, have empathy for those around us, and
believe in the importance of equality and social justice for all.
It is important to note that the development of intrinsic resiliency factors will depend
largely on the extrinsic-related strengths that children experience in their day-to-day
routines. As such, the strength of the intrinsic factors will be influenced by the degree of
support and quality of relationships children have with family, peers, teachers and staff in
schools, and the community at large.
9
Caring
Empathy
Equity &
Social
Justice
Safety
Restraint
Resistance
Skills
Planning &
DecisionMaking
Spirituality
Acceptance
Cultural
Aw areness
SelfEfficacy
Self-Esteem
10
C.
Your Community’s Youth Resiliency Profile Summary
______
The results outlined below from the use of the Youth Resiliency: Assessing
Developmental Strengths questionnaire in your schools/communities, are presented in
such a manner as to allow for optimal interpretation and use of the information collected
from the data. In particular, this report is designed to provide you with an understanding
of the resiliency factors and intrinsic/extrinsic strengths youth in your community rely on
to overcome the adversity they face in their lives.
The questionnaire was administered in June of 2006, and represents results from
youth of the East and West Communities of Toronto, Ontario.
I.
Summary of Youth Demographic Characteristics
Total Sample
Community
Sex
Age
Grade
Number of Youth
Percent of Total
525
100
Flemingdon
250
47.6
West Community
275
52.4
Male
266
50.7
Female
224
42.7
(Missing)
(35)
(6.7)
13
90
17.1
14
94
17.9
15
81
15.4
16
55
10.5
17
53
10.1
18
94
17.9
19
54
10.3
(Missing)
(4)
(.8)
7
6
1.1
8
105
20.0
9
100
19.0
10
56
10.7
11
47
9.0
12
131
25.0
Graduated
3
0.6
In University
6
1.1
(71)
(13.5)
(Missing)
11
Total Sample
Family Setting
Number of Youth
Percent of Total
525
100
Live with both parents
305
58.1
Live with mother only
148
28.2
Live with father only
16
3.0
Live on own
10
1.9
Sometimes mother & sometimes
father
16
3.0
12
2.3
15
2.9
(3)
(0.6)
Less than 1 year
41
7.8
1-2 years
53
10.1
3 years
68
13.0
4 years
123
23.4
All my life
234
44.6
(Missing)
(6)
(1.1)
Canadian
124
23.6
French
6
1.1
Chinese
15
2.9
Korean
8
1.5
Other European
10
1.9
Somalian
46
8.8
Aboriginal Peoples
3
0.6
Japanese
2
0.4
26
5.0
7
1.3
West Indian
56
10.7
African
79
15.0
British
11
2.1
9
1.7
South Asian
93
17.7
Arab
18
3.4
Italian
4
0.8
Live with parent and step-parent
Live with guardian
(Missing)
Length of Time in
Community
Ethnic or Cultural
Ancestry
Latin American
Filipino
South East Asian
12
Total Sample
Speak or Understand
Another Language
Other Language
Spoken at Home
Number of Youth
Percent of Total
525
100
Yes
364
69.3
No
157
29.9
(Missing)
(4)
(0.8)
Albanian
2
0.4
Amharic
3
0.6
Arabic
12
2.3
Bangla
1
0.2
Bengali
11
2.1
Chinese
13
2.5
Creole
2
0.4
Dari
6
1.1
Dutch
1
0.2
Farsi
5
1.0
Filipino
3
0.6
French
10
1.9
German
1
0.2
Greek
2
0.4
Gujarti
13
2.5
Hararia
2
0.4
Hindu
5
1.0
Israeli
1
0.2
Jamaican
4
0.8
Kacri
1
0.2
Korean
7
1.3
Nigerian
1
0.2
Oromo
2
0.4
Pashto
4
0.8
Patwa
5
1.0
Persian
3
0.6
Polish
1
0.2
Punjabi
11
2.1
Russian
3
0.6
13
Total Sample
Other Language
Spoken at Home
(Continued)
Father’s Highest Level
of Education
Mother’s Highest Level
of Education
Number of Youth
Percent of Total
525
100
2
0.4
Somali
40
7.6
Spanish
26
5.0
Srilankan
1
0.2
Swahili
2
0.4
Tamil
18
3.4
Telugu
1
0.2
Tigrigna
3
0.6
Tre
2
0.4
Turkish
1
0.2
Twi
14
2.7
Urdu
69
13.1
Uzbek
1
0.2
Vietnamese
2
0.4
36
6.9
145
27.6
Trade, Technical or Vocation
16
3.0
Some College or University
49
9.3
A college diploma
71
13.5
A university degree
138
26.3
Not applicable
61
11.6
(Missing)
(9)
(1.7)
Junior High School or Less
43
8.2
141
26.9
Trade, Technical or Vocation
10
1.9
Some College or University
52
9.9
A college diploma
98
18.7
A university degree
118
22.5
Not applicable
56
10.7
(Missing)
(7)
(1.3)
Singhale
Junior High School or Less
High School
High School
14
Total Sample
Employed
Number of Youth
Percent of Total
525
100
Yes
98
18.7
No
426
81.1
(1)
(0.2)
Yes
353
67.2
No
67
12.8
(105)
(20.0)
Yes
104
19.8
No
410
78.1
(Missing)
(11)
(2.1)
1
66
12.6
2
22
4.2
3
10
1.9
4
3
0.6
5
1
0.2
7
1
0.2
(Missing)
Wish to be Employed
(Missing)
Younger Sibling’s Past
Participation in Survey
Number of Siblings
Participated
Access Community
Services, Agencies or
Programs
Yes
88
16.8
No
429
81.7
(8)
(1.5)
Community Service,
Agency or Program
Afghan Community
1
0.2
Basketball
3
0.6
Community Service
3
0.6
Flemingdon
2
0.4
FNS
1
0.2
Hararia Org.
2
0.4
Library
8
1.5
Music Class
1
0.2
Nigerian
1
0.2
Parenting
1
0.2
Parks and Recreation
1
0.2
Recreation Centre
2
0.4
Soccer
1
0.2
Urdu
1
0.2
(Missing)
15
Total Sample
Community Service,
Agency or Program
cont’d
Number of Youth
Percent of Total
525
100
York Civic Centre
1
0.2
Youth Group
1
0.2
Note: To maintain continuity and the ability to make general comparisons with other
communities, we have recommended and encouraged the use of the questionnaire
administration guidelines. This report represents an aggregated summary of the data
completed by individuals/ students anonymously. As such, to ensure complete
anonymity we have specified that there be no individual/student identification indicators
reported on the questionnaires.
To provide an accurate Youth Resiliency Profile Summary report, individual
questionnaires are screened for inconsistencies and frequency of missing responses.
Questionnaires that are removed from the final aggregated summary represent less than 2
to 3 percent. We recommend caution in making broad generalizations from your report if
you have less than a representative small of the children from the total possible number
of respondents by sample total, gender and grade. For example, if you have only sampled
males in your community/school, you could not make statements about developmental
strengths or attitudes/behaviours from your results that would include females in your
community/school.
16
II.
Extrinsic Resiliency Factors & Developmental Strengths
This Table Represents the Percent of Youth that Report Having Each of the Extrinsic
Resiliency Factors and Their Corresponding Strengths:
Resiliency Factors
Parental Support
Parental Expectations
Peer Relationships
Mentorship
Commitment to Learning at
School
School Culture
Community Cohesiveness
Strengths
Percent
Caring Family
73
Family Communication
78
Adult Family Members As Role Models
74
Family Support
79
Parental Involvement in Schooling
75
High Expectations Parents
93
Positive Peer Relationships
79
Positive Peer Influence
68
Positive Mentor Relationship
79
Achievement
90
School Engagement
84
School Related Work Activities
84
School Boundaries
89
Bonding to School
79
Caring School Climate
73
High Expectations School
79
Caring Neighbourhood
73
Community Values Youth
50
Adult Relationships
56
Neighbourhood Boundaries
71
17
Resiliency Factor
Strength
External Self Sufficiency
Percent
Community Resourcing
82
Extrinsic Developmental Strengths of the Youth in your Community
Extrinsic Developmental Strengths
73
Caring Family
Family Communication
Family Role Models
Family Support
Parent Involvement in School
Parent Expectations
Positive Peer Relationship
Positive Peer Influence
Achievement
School Engagement
Homework
School Boundaries
Bonding to School
Caring School Climate
School Expectations
Caring Neighbourhood
Community Values Youth
Adult Relationships
Neighbourhood Boundaries
78
74
79
75
93
79
68
90
84
84
89
79
73
79
73
50
56
71
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Percent
18
Extrinsic Strengths of Youth: Response Percentages
By total sample, gender and grade: 8 through 12
Extrinsic Resiliency Factors
Percent
Gender
Grade
Total
M
F
8
9
10
11
12
Caring Family
73
72
75
76
78
66
64
74
Family Communication
78
79
77
85
81
77
62
75
Adult Family Role Models
74
74
75
78
76
66
77
69
Family Support
79
78
81
81
78
79
70
77
Parent Involvement in Education
75
78
73
85
80
68
62
69
High Expectations - Parents
93
92
95
90
93
91
94
92
Positive Peer Relationships
79
79
80
80
80
77
72
76
Positive Peer Influences
68
65
71
70
68
70
60
68
79
76
82
80
77
83
79
79
Achievement
90
89
91
91
93
88
79
87
School Engagement
84
82
86
84
85
77
72
86
School Related Assignments /
Homework
84
83
85
87
92
75
75
81
School Boundaries
89
90
89
93
90
89
87
89
Bonding to School
79
78
82
82
79
68
75
84
Caring School Climate
73
74
71
81
75
66
57
76
High Expectations - School
79
77
81
87
81
68
70
78
Caring Neighbourhood
73
75
71
75
80
68
68
71
Community Values Youth
50
50
49
54
49
46
34
49
Adult Relationships
55
57
53
60
55
57
38
56
Parental Support
Parental Expectations
Peer Relationships
Mentor Relationship
Positive Mentor Relationship
Commitment to Learning at School
School Culture
Community Cohesiveness
19
Extrinsic Strengths of Youth: Response Percentages Continued
By total sample, gender and grade: 8 through 12
Extrinsic Resiliency Factors
Percent
Gender
Grade
Total
M
F
8
9
10
11
12
71
75
68
70
74
79
66
69
82
81
83
89
81
86
83
78
Community Cohesiveness cont’d
Neighbourhood Boundaries
External Self Sufficiency
Community Resourcing
Extrinsic Strengths by Four Developmental Strength Categories
Family Support and Expectation
Caring Family
19
Family Communication
37
Family Support
13
Family School Involvement
Family Expectations
82
66
0
20
40
60
16-20
00-15
96
68
48
18
21-25
97
72
54
26-31
94
71
39
10
97
73
51
19
Family as Role Models
96
60
80
92
100
100
120
Percent
20
Peer Relationships and Commitment to Learning at School
Positive Peer
Relationships
19
Positive Peer
Influence
Achievement
88
58
37
16
26-31
Homework
87
58
34
0
20
40
87
67
40
60
99
91
79
44
School
Engagement
95
73
57
80
21-25
16-20
96
00-15
96
100
120
Percent
School Culture
School
Boundaries
55
Bonding to
School
63
26
Caring School
Climate
School
Expectations
57
31
0
20
40
96
69
60
26-31
21-25
16-20
93
61
51
21
99
86
84
00-15
72
80
95
100
120
Percent
21
Community Cohesiveness
Caring
Neighbourhood
46
24
Community
Values Youth
16
8
Adult
Relationships
Neighbourhood
Boundaries
74
23
26-31
21-25
24
10
79
36
20
16-20
00-15
40
88
62
39
37
0
93
63
60
80
100
Percent
22
III.
Intrinsic Resiliency Factors & Developmental Strengths
This table represents the percent of youth that report having each of the Intrinsic
Resiliency Factors and their corresponding strengths:
Resiliency Factors
Cultural Sensitivity
Strengths
Percent
Cultural Awareness
87
Acceptance
94
Spirituality
83
Cultural Appreciation*
87
Cultural Comfort*
83
Cultural Tension*
82
Restraint
84
Resistance Skills
81
Empowerment
Safety
69
Self-Concept
Planning and Decision-Making
94
Self-Efficacy
87
Self-Esteem
87
Self-Control
23
Resiliency Factors
Strengths
Character Development
Personal Enhancement
85
Principle Driven
83
Empathy
73
Caring
96
Equity & Social Justice
93
Social Sensitivity
Percent
*Note:
The factors: Cultural Appreciation, Cultural Comfort and Cultural Tension were factors
added to the Toronto Community Questionnaires, and are specific to this report.
24
Intrinsic Developmental Strengths of Youth in Your Community
Intrinsic Developmental Strengths
87
Cultural Awareness
Acceptance
Spirituality
Restraint
Resistance Skills
Safety
Planning and Decision Making
Self-Efficacy
Self-Esteem
Empathy
Caring
Equity and Social Justice
94
83
84
81
69
94
87
87
73
96
93
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Percent
25
Intrinsic Strengths of Youth: Response Percentages
By total sample, gender, and Grade: 8 through 12
Intrinsic Resiliency Factors
Percent
Gender
Grade
Total
M
F
8
9
10
11
12
Cultural Awareness
87
86
89
88
85
91
87
88
Acceptance
94
94
94
89
93
91
94
96
Spirituality
83
81
85
78
81
79
89
82
Cultural Appreciation
87
86
89
84
74
75
83
81
Cultural Comfort
83
83
83
91
81
86
89
90
Cultural Tension
82
82
82
78
73
69
79
66
Restraint
84
80
89
85
82
88
79
84
Resistance Skills
81
77
86
87
86
75
79
79
69
73
63
74
72
59
62
70
Planning and Decision Making
94
94
94
91
95
89
92
94
Self-Efficacy
87
85
88
83
84
88
87
84
Self-Esteem
87
84
89
87
87
84
81
86
Personal Enhancement
85
85
86
85
84
89
85
86
Principle Driven
83
80
86
86
75
88
83
85
Empathy
73
68
78
74
66
70
72
78
Caring
96
96
97
93
95
95
98
97
Equity and Social Justice
93
92
95
90
92
91
89
92
Cultural Sensitivity
Self Control
Empowerment
Safety
Self-Concept
Character Development
Social Sensitivity
26
Intrinsic Strengths by Four Developmental Strength Categories
Cultural Sensitivity and Self-Control
Cultural
Awareness
89
70
52
Acceptance
Spirituality
Restraint
Resistance Skills
0
20
40
60
21-25
16-20
94
00-15
95
79
63
32
95
86
72
39
26-31
82
66
31
98
96
81
69
97
80
100
120
Percent
Empowerment and Self – Concept
Safety
49
27
84
62
Planning and
Decision Making
68
Self-Efficacy
Self-Esteem
73
29
0
20
40
60
26-31
97
16-20
87
70
40
98
92
93
80
88
21-25
00-15
99
100
120
Percent
27
Social Sensitivity
Empathy
43
16
91
68
Caring
74
Equity and Social
Justice
0
20
40
60
80
21-25
16-20
00-15
85
57
26-31
100
96
96
98
95
100
120
Percent
28
Comprehensive Youth Project in Toronto, ON
Average Number of Youth Developmental Strengths = 24.3
Number of
Developmental Strengths
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
00 – 05
12
2.3
2.3
2.3
06 – 10
10
1.9
1.9
4.2
11 – 15
40
7.6
7.6
11.8
16 – 20
67
12.8
12.8
24.6
21 – 25
109
20.8
20.8
45.3
26 – 31
287
54.7
54.7
100.0
Total
525
100.0
100.0
70.0
54.7
60.0
Percent
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.8
20.0
10.0
2.3
1.9
00-05
06-10
7.6
12.8
0.0
11-15
16-20
21-25
26-31
Developmental Strength Categories
29
IV.
Resistance To At-Risk Behaviours
Percent of Youth that Report the Ability to Resist Participation in At-Risk Behaviours
Negative
Domain
At-Risk Behaviour
A Child is considered to be resistant if he/she…
Percent
Tobacco
Cigarette/chewing
tobacco use
Has not smoked cigarettes or chewed tobacco in the past
month
82
Alcohol
Frequent alcohol use
Has not used alcohol in the past month
76
Binge drinking
Has not consumed enough alcohol at once to induce a
state of intoxication in the past year
81
Use of illicit drugs
Has not used marijuana in the past month
82
Has not used other harmful substances or drugs in the past
year
83
Illicit
Drugs
Gambling
Gambling or playing
the lottery
Has not gambled or played the lottery in last month
78
At-Risk
Social
Behaviour
Vandalism
Has not defaced or damaged property just for fun in the
past year
78
Bullying
Has not been involved with bullying another person in the
past month
76
Theft
Has not stolen something from a store in the past year
76
Weapon Concealment
Has not carried a concealed weapon to protect oneself in
the past year
81
Violence
Has not physically hit or beat up someone in the past year
Avoidance
Watches television or videos less than 3 hours on a typical
weekday
69
60
Plays video games or surfs the internet less than 3 hours
on a typical weekday
47
Victimized
Bullied
Has not been picked on or bullied in the past month
79
School
Problems
Truancy
Has not skipped school in the past month
59
30
V.
Participation in Positive/Constructive Behaviours
Percent of Youth that Reported Participating in Positive/Constructive Behaviours
Positive
Domain
Positive Behaviour
A Child shows positive behaviours if he/she has…
Percent
Leadership
Takes leadership roles
Been a leader in a group or organization 2 or more times
in the past year
57
Volunteerism
Volunteers time in
community
Been a volunteer or helped out in the community at least
once in the last week
67
Creativity
Takes music, drama,
art or dance lessons
Participated in music, drama, art or dance lessons one or
more times a week
67
Physical
Activities
Exercises daily
Doing physical activities that exercise the body for 1 or
more hours a day
88
Participating in physical activities in school on a regular
basis 3 or more times a week
56
Participating in physical activities in the community on
a regular basis 3 or more times a week
42
Exercises regularly at
school
Exercises regularly in
the community
Spiritual
Activities
Participates weekly in
spiritual activities
Attended spiritual/religious/faith activities on a regular
weekly basis
73
Delayed
Gratification
Ability to save money
Is able to save money for something special rather than
spending it all right away
58
Persistence
Does not give up easily
Will not give up when things become difficult
68
Healthy Diet
Maintains a healthy
food intake
Stays healthy by eating good foods
57
Academic
Excellence
Works hard to achieve
high grades
Compared with other students in the same grade,
perceive that they are doing much better than average
60
Does homework on a
regular basis
Completed 3 or more hours of homework during a week
of regular school days
61
Personal
Development
Reading for pleasure
Read for pleasure 3 or more times during the last week
49
Social
Development
Cultural Awareness
Perceive that they have a good understanding of people
from different cultures
63
31
D.
The Importance of Resiliency/Strengths to Restraint from At-Risk
Behaviours
The chart below shows how important resiliency factors/strengths are to youth in
helping them to restrain from risk-taking behaviours. The research consistently
demonstrates that youth with higher resiliency factors and developmental strengths are
less likely to be involved with a number of risk-taking activities. The average number of
10 risk-taking behaviours from all youth surveyed are grouped by two strength
categories (0 – 20, 21 – 31). There are 15 questions that measure risk-taking behaviours
such as substance abuse (alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs), antisocial behaviour,
violence, school problems, and gambling.
Average Number of Risk Behaviours
Average number of at-risk behaviours in each of the developmental strength
categories.
10.0
8.0
6.0
5.4
4.0
3.0
2.0
0.0
00-20
21-31
Developmental Strength Categories
The figures that follow provide the specific percentages between categories for
each of the 13 at-risk behaviours.
32
The Importance of Resiliency and Developmental Strengths
To Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours
Used Tobacco Products During the Last Monh
40.0
36.0
30.0
Percent
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that smoked
cigarettes or
chewed tobacco at
least once during
the last month are
shown to the right.
20.0
12.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Drank Alcohol During the Last Month
40.0
37.0
30.0
Percent
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that drank alcohol
at least once
during the last
month are shown
to the right.
19.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
33
The Importance of Resiliency and Developmental Strengths
To Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours
Got Drunk During the Last Year
Percent
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that have
consumed enough
alcohol to induce
intoxication once
in the past year are
shown to the right.
35.0
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
32.0
14.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that used
marijuana during
the last month are
shown to the right.
Percent
Used Marijuana During the Last Month
35.0
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
33.0
14.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
34
The Importance of Resiliency and Developmental Strengths
To Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours
Used Other Illicit Drugs During the Last Year
Percent
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that used other
substances
(inhalants,
amphetamines,
downers, cocaine
or heroin) at least
once in the last
year are shown to
the right.
35.0
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
31.0
12.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Gambled or Played the Lottery During the Last Month
40.0
37.0
30.0
Percent
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that gambled or
played the lottery
during the past
month are shown
to the right.
18.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
35
The Importance of Resiliency and Developmental Strengths
To Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours
Stolen From a Store During the Last Year
50.0
45.0
40.0
Percent
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that stole
something from a
store in the past
year are shown to
the right.
30.0
17.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Carried a Concealed Weapon to Protect Oneself
During the Last Year
40.0
Percent
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that carried a
concealed weapon
to protect
themselves in the
past year are
shown to the right.
35.0
30.0
20.0
14.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
36
The Importance of Resiliency and Developmental Strengths
To Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours
Involved with Bullying Another Person
During the Last Month
50.0
40.0
Percent
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that were involved
in bullying or
picking on another
person at least
once in the last
month are shown
to the right.
41.0
30.0
20.0
18.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Hit or Beat up Someone During the Last Year
Percent
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that hit or beat
someone up at
least once in the
last year are shown
to the right.
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
50.0
24.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
37
The Importance of Resiliency and Developmental Strengths
To Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours
Picked on or Bullied by Another Person
During the Last Month
40.0
Percent
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that were picked
on or bullied at
least once in the
last month are
shown to the right.
33.0
30.0
17.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Defaced or Damaged Property Just for Fun
During the Last Year
50.0
40.0
Percent
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that defaced or
damaged property
just for fun at least
once in the past
year are shown to
the right.
40.0
30.0
20.0
17.0
10.0
0.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
38
The Importance of Resiliency and Developmental Strengths
To Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that watch TV or
videos / DVD’s at
least 3 hours or
more a day are
shown to the right.
Watches TV or Videos/DVD's
Three or More Hours a Day
Percent
40.5
40.0
40.0
39.5
39.0
39.0
38.5
00-20
21-31
Numer of Developmental Strengths
The percent of
youth from the 2
categories that surf
the internet or play
video games at
least 3 hours or
more a day are
shown to the right.
Percent
Surfs the Internet or Plays Video Games
Three or More Hours a Day
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
54.0
53.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
39
The Importance of Resiliency and Developmental Strengths
To Restraint from At-Risk Behaviours
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that skipped school
at least once in the
last month are
shown to the right.
Percent
Skipped School During the Last Month
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
61.0
34.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
40
E.
The Importance of Resiliency and Developmental Strengths to Promote
Positive and Constructive Behaviours
The chart below shows how important resiliency factors/strengths are to youth in
helping them to engage in positive and constructive behaviours. The research
consistently demonstrates that youth with higher resiliency factors and developmental
strengths are more likely to be involved with a number of positive and constructive
activities. The average number of 14 positive behaviours from all youth surveyed are
grouped by two strength categories (0 – 20, 21 – 31). There are 16 questions that
measure the constructive indicators (success in school, values diversity, helps others,
maintains good health, volunteerism, exhibits leadership, resists danger, delays
gratification, and overcomes adversity)
Average Number of Positive/Constructive
Behaviours
Average number of constructive behaviours in each of the developmental
strength categories.
10.0
7.6
8.0
6.0
5.8
4.0
2.0
0.0
00-20
21-31
Developmental Strength Categories
The figures that follow provide the percentages between categories for each of the 14
positive behaviour indicators shown in the total above.
41
The Importance of Resiliency and Developmental Strengths
To Promote Positive and Constructive Behaviours
Been a Leader in a Group or Organization
During the Last Year
Percent
The percent of
youth, from the 2
categories that
have been a leader
in a group or
organization at
least twice in the
last year are shown
to the right.
59.0
58.0
57.0
56.0
55.0
54.0
53.0
58.0
55.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
The percent of
youth, from within
the 2 categories
that volunteers in
the community at
least once a week
are shown to the
right.
Volunteers in the Community
(At Least Once a Week)
71.0
Percent
80.0
60.0
56.0
40.0
20.0
0.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
42
The Importance of Resiliency and Developmental Strengths
To Promote Positive and Constructive Behaviours
Participated in Music, Drama, Art or Dance Lessons
( At Least Once a Week )
80.0
Percent
The percent of
youth, from within
the 2 categories
that participates in
creative activities
on a weekly basis
is shown to the
right.
60.0
70.0
59.0
40.0
20.0
0.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Engages in Activites To Exercise the Body
( At Least One Hour a Day)
100.0
80.0
Percent
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that participate in
physical activities
that exercise the
body for at least
one hour daily are
shown to the right.
85.0
89.0
00-20
21-31
60.0
40.0
20.0
0.0
Number of Developmental Strengths
43
The Importance of Resiliency and Developmental Strengths
To Promote Positive and Constructive Behaviours
Attend Spiritual/Religious/Faith Activities
( At Least Once a Week)
80.0
Percent
The percent of
youth, from within
the 2 categories
that attend
spiritual/
religious/faith
activities at least
once a week are
shown to the right.
70.0
74.0
00-20
21-31
60.0
40.0
20.0
0.0
Number of Developmental Strengths
Delayed Gratification
65.0
61.0
60.0
Percent
The percent of
youth, from within
the 2 categories
that save money
for something
special rather than
spending it all
right away are
shown to the right.
55.0
51.0
50.0
45.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
44
The Importance of Resiliency and Developmental Strengths
To Promote Positive and Constructive Behaviours
Persistence
73.0
80.0
60.0
Percent
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that do not give up
when things get
difficult are shown
to the right.
54.0
40.0
20.0
0.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
The percent of
youth, from within
the 2 categories
that stay healthy
by eating good
foods are shown to
the right.
Healthy Diet
80.0
63.0
Percent
60.0
40.0
38.0
20.0
0.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
45
The Importance of Resiliency and Developmental Strengths
To Promote Positive and Constructive Behaviours
Achieves Above Average Grade in Course Subjects
(Compared to Other Students)
80.0
Percent
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that in comparison
with other students
achieve above
average grades in
course subjects are
shown to the right.
60.0
66.0
42.0
40.0
20.0
0.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
The percent of
youth, from within
the 2 categories
that completed at
least one hour of
homework each
school day are
shown to the right.
Completes at Least 1 Hour of Homework Each Night
80.0
Percent
60.0
66.0
43.0
40.0
20.0
0.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
46
The Importance of Resiliency and Developmental Strengths
To Promote Positive and Constructive Behaviours
The percent of
youth from within
the 2 categories
that read for
pleasure on a
regularly basis are
shown to the right.
Percent
Read for Pleasure
( At Least Three Times a Week)
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
54.0
34.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
Knows A Lot About People From Different Cultures
80.0
60.0
Percent
The percent of
youth, from within
the 2 categories
that know a lot
about people from
different cultures
are shown to the
right.
68.0
46.0
40.0
20.0
0.0
00-20
21-31
Number of Developmental Strengths
47
F.
Suggestions and Recommendations
I.
Establishing A Goal
The youth from your community who were surveyed have on average 24.3 of the 31
developmental strengths. In order to promote resiliency and the well-being of our
children, Resiliency Canada encourages that all youth have at least 21.0 strengths. Using
the table and bar chart below, this nearly ideal scenario could be used as an overlay to
compare with your community profile summary that was generated on page 29.
Number of
Developmental Strengths
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
00 – 05
0
0.0
0.0
0.0
06 – 10
0
0.0
0.0
0.0
11 – 15
0
0.0
0.0
0.0
16 – 20
0
0.0
0.0
0.0
21 – 25
250
25.0
25.0
25.0
26 – 31
750
75.0
75.0
100.0
Total
1000
100.0
100.0
100
90
80
Percent
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
00-05
06-10
11-15
16-20
21-25
26-30
Developmental Strengths Categories
48
II
How to Encourage Child Resiliency in Our Communities
In general, the children and adolescents in Canada are growing up in communities
that support healthy lifestyles and the well-being of children. We have also come to
understand that a wide range of physical, social, cultural and economic influences can
either hinder or support child development. As such, the Youth Resiliency strengthbased framework uses a holistic perspective that looks at the resiliency factors that
support and encourage our children to adopt healthy lifestyles and positive
attitudes/behaviours. By acknowledging the strengths that currently exist within our
communities, the key is to strive towards working inter-collaboratively to build capacity
and engage community in support of nurturing resiliency development in all children and
youth.
NURTURING RESILIENCY DEVELOPMENT
Through Inter-Collaborative Efforts Of Organizations,
Municipalities & Provincial/Federal Governments
With Children, Families, Schools & Communities
49
Appendix C
Profiles of Participating Community Agencies
DOORSTEPS NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES
Doorsteps Neighbourhood Services is a community development organization working with
local residents to improve quality of life for everyone in our neighbourhoods. Located in North
York, we operate three multi-service Neighbourhood Centres in Chalkfarm, Daystrom and
Falstaff. Community workers manage each Neighbourhood Centre, providing support for
volunteers, assistance with settlement matters, and general information for newcomers and
community residents. The Neighbourhood Centers offers the use of computers, copiers, fax
machines, facilities and access to the internet. Programs offered at Doorsteps Centres include,
but are not limited to the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Women’s Multicultural Groups – learning, cooking, talking, sharing
Health Promotion Programs for adults including seniors – food, fitness and feelings
English Classes (Partnership with Toronto District School Board)
Literacy Classes (Partnership with Toronto Catholic District School Board)
Early Years/Readiness for learning Programs for pre-school children and their
families (Toronto Children’s Services, Family Resource Programs, Health Canada
CAP-C, Building Brighter Futures, Ontario Early Years)
After School Support for school–aged children and their families
Parenting Support Programs (partnership with Toronto Public Health)
Seasonal community events
Doorsteps is committed to programmes that contribute to the healthy development of children
and the quality of family and community life for all. For the past 6 years Doorsteps focus has
been primarily geared toward supporting children between ages 6 through 12. This was in
response to frequent requests from parents, in particular newcomers and single parents, whose
children are involved in after school programs.
By incorporating a strength- based approach that is built on the resiliency research project,
Doorsteps continues to strengthen its best practices model and has moved forward in evaluating
and improving out-of school programmes for school-aged children.
1
FLEMINGDON NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES
Flemingdon Neighbourhood Services is a multi-service agency located in Flemingdon Park, a
community primarily comprised of new Canadians from a diversity of cultural groups. Our
primary services include providing assistance with settlement and housing issues, as well as
assisting women who are experiencing abuse. We also offer a number of other services,
including a clothing bank, yoga classes, an arts program for children, reading circles, and piano
classes.
We are encouraged that the findings of this study highlight the strengths of this community. The
results reinforce the importance of building and supporting positive relationships between
children and adults, since this is seen as a significant factor in enhancing resiliency within
children. As a community agency, we understand the importance of fostering opportunities to
provide mentoring relationships with children. All of the programs we offer for children are very
popular. We have seen the positive influence of programs such as our Reading Circles and
piano classes for the children who participate. Although we do not receive funding for either of
these volunteer-led programs, we recognize the importance of sustaining these activities. We are
committed to continuing to provide opportunities where children can build positive relationships
with mentors.
FLEMINGDON PARK PARENT ASSOCIATION
Flemingdon Park Parent Association (FPPA) is a grass roots organization, established to
fulfill the needs of the community by encouraging all members to “help” themselves. In doing
so, our hope is to have community members solve some of the life difficulties they may be
facing; look for ways to break out of the poverty trap; help parents take action in supporting the
hopes and dreams of their children and to build a strong, inclusive community.
Committed people from many diverse backgrounds have come together to work for the common
good of the community. This approach is uniquely effective due to its introduction of services
based on the communities desire to work together to provide meaningful programs for
themselves. This encourages them to come together not only to solve their own problems but
also to improve their quality of life and strengthen the community they live in.
With dedication and determination, the Flemingdon Park Parent Association was formed and is
now a recognized nonprofit organization. FPPA started from scratch with the creation of a
wildly-successful soccer and baseball leagues for its community members. FPPA is committed
to enhancing and supporting the strengths and richness in the people who live in Flemingdon.
FPPA provides not only sports activities for children but encourages parent involvement,
interaction and support.
2
FAMILY DAY CARE SERVICES,
Flemingdon Park School Age and Family Centre
Family Day - School Age Programs offers a before and after school program where children are
involved in a wide variety of activities which include arts and crafts, sports and games. Children
are also given the opportunity to work-on school projects and homework, with the support of a
staff member.
Our Summer Fun Program operates on a weekly rotation and runs full-days. Programs are
geared toward older children and include a specially designed curriculum where children explore
different topics through a variety of activities including fieldtrips and community outings.
Family Day Care Services also offers a Resource Program free for families in the community.
The program provides opportunities for parents and caregivers to meet others and play in an
early learning environment with their children. The Resource Program also provides supports to
families in the community. Some activities include: Family Time Drop-in, Music & Movement,
Reading Circle, Toy Lending, and parenting programs (ie: Nobody's Perfect, Child minding,
Peer Nutrition).
Family Day Care Services is committed to be an active participant of community events,
community work groups and to promote services for all children.
3
Appendix D
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