These lesson plans are based on the idea of resilience. Resilience is a process whereby young people facing adversity develop strengths and make meaning from difficult situations.
There are many possible mechanisms of resilience such as effective coping skills, strong social support, a sense of personal agency, and being able to learn from difficult situations. None of these mechanisms are enough in isolation: young people call upon different strengths, together or in combination, at different times. Resilience isn’t down to the individual: it also involves social relationships, community and culture.
There are many definitions of resilience. Prof Angie Hart of our project team suggests in her research that resilience processes, for a young person, involve having basic needs met, feeling a sense of belonging, being able to learn and grow in life, developing effective coping skills and developing a sense of core self.
A resilience-based intervention for challenging adolescent drinking is based on developing young people’s personal strengths and social skills so that they are better equipped for HOW to handle situations that may involve alcohol use. Our work focuses on helping people to make healthier and safer choices concerning alcohol.