Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons^™

Moving Beyond Trauma: Activating Resilience To Support Our Most Vulnerable Youth, Joanne Malloy, Sara Manisco Chapo, Kathryn Francoeur

International Journal of School Social Work

It is well-documented that exposure to toxic stress in childhood can contribute to impaired social, emotional, behavioral, and neuro-biological development that often results in learning difficulties, poor emotional regulation, an inability to develop healthy relationships, and impaired problem-solving skills. Further, youth who grow up in unsafe environments or are subjected to structural inequality are faced with challenges over which they have no control. Using a positive, future-oriented, and trauma-responsive perspective while intentionally building resilience can effectively engage and support youth to overcome feelings of hopelessness and achieve positive outcomes. This paper includes a qualitative study of protective factors as identified …