Working Paper #13

Supportive Relationships and Active Skill-Building Strengthen the Foundations of Resilience

Decades of research in the behavioral and social sciences have produced substantial evidence that children who do well despite serious hardship have had at least one stable and committed relationship with a supportive parent, caregiver, or other adult. These relationships buffer children from developmental disruption and help them build key capacities, such as the ability to adapt, that enable them to respond to adversity and thrive. The combination of supportive relationships, adaptive skill-building, and positive experiences constitute the foundation of what is commonly called resilience. This Working Paper from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child explains how protective factors in the social environment and highly responsive biological systems interact to produce resilience, and discusses strategies that promote healthy development in the face of significant adversity.

Suggested citation: Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2015). Supportive Relationships and Active Skill-Building Strengthen the Foundations of Resilience: Working Paper 13. www.developingchild.harvard.edu

InBrief: Resilience Videos

Reducing the effects of significant adversity on young children’s healthy development is critical to the progress and prosperity of any society. Yet not all children experience lasting harm as a result of adverse early experiences. Some may demonstrate “resilience,” or an adaptive response to serious hardship. A better understanding of why some children do well despite early adversity is important because it can help us design policies and programs that help more children reach their full potential. These three videos provide an overview of why resilience matters, how it develops, and how to strengthen it in children. Read more and view videos >>

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  The Spectrum of Neglect: Four Types of Unresponsive Care

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  Serve & Return Interaction Shapes Brain Circuitry

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  InBrief: Executive Function: Skills for Life and Learning

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  Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships

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  InBrief: The Science of Resilience