Risk and Resilience in Childhood, 2nd Edition

Literature is replete with stories of children who recover against impossible odds. No less dramatic are real-life accounts in social work case files. But why are some children so resilient when others are not? How can social work practice appropriate these positive forces on behalf of more children?

Risk and Resilience in Childhood: An Ecological Perspective, 2nd Edition, takes a major leap forward from other social work texts to probe not only risk but resilience and the protective factors that promote positive developmental outcomes. Firmly research based, it bridges the gap between ecological theory and strengths-based practice and provides a foundation for developing case-specific interventions.

Building on the concepts and models articulated so expertly in the best-selling first edition, the authors of Risk and Resilience, 2nd Edition, introduce a framework and interdisciplinary language for understanding and conceptualizing social and health problems of children and their families. Readers will easily draw implications for practice from its clear and organized presentation. Using an ecological and multisystems perspective, each chapter examines risk and protective factors for specific social problems and disorders in childhood, including drug abuse, school failure, adolescent pregnancy, and delinquency. Risk and Resilience, 2nd Edition, is a compelling and rich resource for practitioners, scholars, and educators.

Special Features

• Summarizes and distills for social work practice the latest research on risk factors for childhood problems.
• Devotes a full chapter to suicidal behaviors among youth.
• Describes how to tailor interventions on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation.