Despite All Obstacles''' Defying the Odds

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Despite All Obstacles...Defying the Odds!

• Clara Cáceres Contreras, BS, Med, CPS
• Education Specialist
• School Health/Safe Drug-Free Schools
  Communities
• Region One Education Service Center
• www.esc1.net
• 956-984-6125
• clara.contreras_at_esconett.org

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Objectives

• Assess risk and protective/resiliency factors
• Utilize the 40 Developmental Assets- as a
  framework for prevention
• Add three short powerful videos to resources
• Take the message home
• More resources

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As a Teenagers

• What adversity did you have when you were young?
  What make you feel shameful?
• What happened in your life that facilitated your
  growth that gave you hope?
• Who or what was there for you?
• How many protective factors did you have?

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Risk Protective Factors

• Individual
• Family
• Environment
• School
• Community

Hawkins, J.D., Lishner, D.M. and Catalano, R.F.
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Constitution of the Child

• Child of an alcohol, tobacco, or other drug
  abuser
• Less than 2 years between the child and its
  older/younger siblings
• Birth defects, including possible neurological
  and neurochemical dysfunctions
• Neuropsychological vulnerabilities
• Physically disabled
• Physical or mental health problems
• Learning disability

Hawkins, J.D., Lishner, D.M. and Catalano, R.F.
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Early Behavior Problems

• Aggressiveness combined with shyness
• Aggressiveness
• Decreased social inhibition
• Emotional problems
• Inability to express feelings appropriately
• Hypersensitivity
• Inability to cope with stress
• Problems with relationships
• Cognitive problems
• Low self-esteem
• Difficult temperament
• Personality characteristics of ego under-control,
  rapid tempo, inability to delay gratification,
  overreacting

Hawkins, J.D., Lishner, D.M. and Catalano, R.F.
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Adolescent Problems

• School failure and dropout
• At risk of dropping out
• Delinquency
• Violent acts
• Gateway drug use (tobacco, alcohol, marijuana)
• Other drug use and abuse
• Early unprotected sexual activity
• Teenage pregnancy/teen parenthood
• Unemployed or underemployed
• At risk of being unemployed
• Mental health problems
• Suicidal

Hawkins, J.D., Lishner, D.M. and Catalano, R.F.
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Negative Adolescent Behavior and Experiences

• Lack of bonding to society (family, school, and
  community)
• Rebelliousness and nonconformity
• Resistance to authority
• Strong need for independence
• Cultural alienation
• Fragile ego
• Feelings of failure
• Present versus future orientation
• Hopelessness
• Lack of self-confidence
• Low self-esteem
• Inability to form positive close relationships
• Vulnerability to negative peer pressure

Hawkins, J.D., Lishner, D.M. and Catalano, R.F.
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Family Environment

• Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug dependency of
  parent(s)
• Parental abuse and neglect of children
• Antisocial, sexually deviant, or mentally ill
  parents
• High levels of family stress, including financial
  strain
• Large, overcrowded family
• Unemployed or underemployed parents
• Parents with little education
• Socially isolated parents
• Single female parent without family/other support
  
• Family instability
• High level of marital and family conflict and/or
  family violence
• Parental absenteeism due to separation, divorce,
  or death
• Lack of family rituals
• Inadequate parenting and low parent/child contact
  
• Frequent family moves

Hawkins, J.D., Lishner, D.M. and Catalano, R.F.
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Community Environment

• Poverty
• Living in an economically depressed area with
• high unemployment
• inadequate housing
• high prevalence of crime
• high prevalence of illegal drug use
• Minority status involving
• racial discrimination
• culture devalued in American society
• differing generational levels of assimilation
• cultural and language barriers to getting
  adequate health care and other social services
• low educational levels
• low achievement expectations from society

Hawkins, J.D., Lishner, D.M. and Catalano, R.F.
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Child Personality Characteristics

• Affectionate/endearing
• Easy temperament
• Autonomous
• Adaptable and flexible
• Positive outlook
• Healthy expectations
• Self-efficacy
• Self-discipline
• Internal locus of control
• Problem-solving skills
• Socially adept
• Tolerance of people and situations

Hawkins, J.D., Lishner, D.M. and Catalano, R.F.
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Child Constitutional Strengths

• Adequate early sensory motor and language
  development
• High intelligence
• Physically robust
• No emotional or temperamental impairments

Hawkins, J.D., Lishner, D.M. and Catalano, R.F.
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Family Environment

• Adequate family income
• Structured and nurturing family
• Parents promote learning
• Fewer than four children in family
• Two or more years between the birth of each child
  
• Few chronic stressful life events
• Multi-generational kinship network
• Non-kin support network, e.g., supportive role
  models, dependable substitute child care
• Warm, close personal relationship with parent(s)
  and/or other adult(s)
• Little marital conflict
• Family stability and cohesiveness
• Plenty of attention during first year of life
• Sibling as caretaker/confidante
• Clear behavior guidelines

Hawkins, J.D., Lishner, D.M. and Catalano, R.F.
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Community Environment

• Middle or upper class pleasant neighborhood
• Low unemployment
• Adequate housing
• Low prevalence of neighborhood crime
• Good school
• School that promotes learning, participation, and
  responsibility
• High-quality health care
• Easy access to adequate social services
• Flexible social service providers who put
  clients' needs first

Hawkins, J.D., Lishner, D.M. and Catalano, R.F.
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• If children are growing up in an alcoholic or
  drug abusing family, studies suggest that they
  have a better chance of growing into healthy
  adulthood if they
• Can learn to do one thing well that is valued by
  themselves, their friends, and their community
• Are required to be helpful as they grow up
• Are able to ask for help for themselves
• Are able to elicit positive responses from others
  in their environment
• Are able to distance themselves from their
  dysfunctional families so that the family is not
  their sole frame of reference
• Are able to bond with some socially valued,
  positive entity, such as the family, school,
  community groups, or church
• Are able to interact with a (perceived to be)
  caring adult who provides consistent caring
  responses.

Hawkins, J.D., Lishner, D.M. and Catalano, R.F.
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Implications for Prevention Planning
Increase Protective/Resiliency Factors
Decrease Risk Factors
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Prevention

• Individual
• Targeted/Group
• Universal

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Protective Factors Prevention Framework

• Support
• Empowerment
• Boundaries Expectations
• Constructive Use of Time
• Commitment to School
• Positive Values
• Social Competence
• Positive Identity
• Dr. Peter Benson, Search Institute

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Search Institute
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Search Institute
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40 Assets

• 1. Family support
• 2. Positive family communication
• 3. Other adult relationships
• 4. Caring neighborhood
• 5. Caring school climate
• 6. Parent involvement in schooling
• 7. Community values youth
• 8. Youth as resources
• 9. Service to others
• 10. Safety
• 11. Family boundaries
• 12. School Boundaries
• 13. Neighborhood boundaries
• 14. Adult role models
• 15. Positive peer relationships
• 16. High expectations
• 17. Creative activities
• 18. Youth programs
• 19. Religious

• 21. Achievement Motivation
• 22. School Engagement
• 23. Homework
• 24. Bonding to school
• 25. Reading for Pleasure
• 26. Caring
• 27. Equality and social justice
• 28. Integrity
• 30. Responsibility
• 31. Restraint.
• 32. Planning and decision making
• 34. Cultural Competence
• 35. Resistance skills
• 36. Peaceful conflict resolution
• 37. Personal power
• 38. Self-esteem
• 39. Sense of purpose
• 40. Positive view of personal

Search Institute
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Videos

• Too Good to Be True
• Mr. Fazio
• Freedom Writers
• Teddys Story

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• "Don't try to fix the students, fix ourselves
  first. The good teacher makes the poor student
  good and the good student superior. When our
  students fail, we, as teachers, too, have
  failed. Marva Collins

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Its Our ResponsibilitytoArm Our
Childrenwith (connections, opportunities
social skills) Protective FactorsHopelessness
toHOPE!
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Search Institute
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Resources

• CBS-60 Minutes 1-800-848-3256 www.store.cbs.com
• Too Good To Be True- (1979)
• MR. FAZIO (1996)
• Films for the Humanities Sciences
  1-800-257-5126 www.films.com
• Freedom Writers
• Search Institute, 1-800-888-7828
  www.searchinstitute.org
• You Have to Live It-
• Research Resilience (google resiliency, risk and
  protective factors)
• Emmy Werner, Ruth Smith, JD Hawkins, DM Lishner,
  RF Catalano, Steven Sybil Wolin, Bonnie
  Bennard
• Region One Education Service Center
• www.esc1.net/
• clara.contreras_at_esconett.org
• 956-984-6125