Resiliency and Public Policy

Source: http://www.walrusmagazine.com/blogs/2008/11/17/a-conversation-with-lynda-barry/

Psychological research examines conditions that reinforce resilience of children, such as through early educational programs and residential mobility programs.

Public policy disproportionately affects family structures of African-Americans, leading African-American children to be seen as "at-risk" and needing public intervention.¹⁸ Because state interventions may harm the social structure of the family, depriving children of social and emotional support, this in turn can impact resilience in African-American children in particular.

While it is important to understand how to help improve resilience of children facing adversity, it is also crucial to understand the context and conditions of society that affect how children exhibit resilience. For instance, with limited upward mobility and access to jobs and economic opportunities, some may be successful through criminal means that challenge societal norms. It is important to understand that improving social conditions of children can affect the way in which they show resilience.

Resilience could be problematic if it were misinterpreted and appropriated by policy makers to argue that is not necessary to address social issues that make it necessary for children to be resilient.¹⁹