There are certain categories of environmental protective factors that are related to resilience in children. According to Emmy Werner (1994), these environmental protective factors are parenting styles that reflect competence and enhance self-esteem, other supportive adults who foster trust and act as gatekeeper to the future, and the opening up of opportunities at major life transitions. Sir Michael Rutter (1995) has a list of resilience fostering categories as well. They are as follows: reducing the personal impact of risk experiences, stopping negative chain reactions, promoting self-esteem, opening up positive opportunities, and the positive cognitive processing of negative experiences.
Promoting self-esteem is mentioned by both researchers as a method for fostering resilience. This speaks to the potency of this method for fostering resilience. Children in impoverished and stressful situations need their self-esteem promoted as this is related to resilience. This can be done by showing them in a concrete manner what their strengths are. Specific and directed praise and encouragement for their competencies and accomplishments is also helpful. For example, if you have students who may not be extremely intelligent but study hard, tell them that their hard work led to their good grade. If you have students who have great social skills, tell them that their diplomatic ways could lead to them becoming leaders of the student body.
The opening up of positive opportunities is also mentioned by both researchers. This speaks to the potency and importance of this method of fostering resilience. It is important to provide opportunities at life's transition points. Some important opportunities to open up at the appropriate time are as follows: the possibility of mentoring during an educational transition, the opportunity of a job after formal education is complete, and the possibility of positive social interaction with potential partners when intimacy versus isolation is the current psychosocial crisis. Opportunities need to be provided after failure, for instance the possibility of tutoring when educational achievement is low or the provision of a job or continuing education after pregnancy.
Children in impoverished and stressful situations need other adults besides parents to offer advice and assistance with their lives. Their parents may or may not be able to help them with all problems and occasions. They especially need emotional support, another trusting relationship, and information and advice about the future. This other adult may work in an educational setting, spiritual setting, or they may be extended kin.
Risk can be neutralized by impacting the situation directly or altering exposure to it. If a person is hungry, give them some food. Parental monitoring and supervision can reduce the risk of juvenile delinquency. Additionally, not involving children directly in spousal divorce conflict lessens children's risk exposure to adverse outcomes. There are other potential methods for reducing the impact of risk. For example, if your special needs child has an unsupportive teacher, you could request that your child be moved to a classroom with a more supportive teacher.
One negative event can lead to another negative event. For instance, a female getting pregnant in high school can lead to dropping out for both parents and securing low wage jobs. However, this is not a positive step and it can be avoided. A pregnant female can stay in school, along with the male parent, join a parenting program, and obtain a support network. Taking these steps can stop the negative chain of events that could happen after teenage pregnancy. There are other negative events that can spiral, but they can be stopped. For example, being expelled from school can be followed by homework and class notes being sent home so that the student doesn't fall behind in classes.
Negative events are sometimes seen as positive in retrospect. This may actually be a protective factor. It is best to accept the negative, not deny it, but to focus on the positive aspects and incorporate them into your personal schema. This is usually done automatically by resilient people as the negative event is remembered years later. However, it is possibly helpful to people going through a negative experience to focus on the positive while they are going through it. This may be protective, too.