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| Exploring resiliency in vulnerable children |
| One of the prevailing notions in designing programmes for children is that children are vulnerable and therefore need protection from adults. There has also been a tendency to identify specific groups of children as being especially vulnerable, often at the expense of the larger population of children. While the notion of children’s vulnerability has become a useful approach to child protection and the analysis of children’s situations, it is critical to review and refine this notion if we are to promote children’s rights. It is implied that children’s problems stem from their vulnerabilities as individuals and from the intra-personal and interpersonal deficits. Thus, it is assumed that children can be easily “traumatized” by the negative tendency to blame the individual who is considered a victim (rather than a survivor) and neglect the role of the social environment. Thus, typical solutions and interventions also target individuals rather than the system as a whole. The UN CRC promotes the ideology of rights rather than needs, of children as rights-holders rather than as beneficiaries, of children and communities as subjects rather than as objects of assistance. With a more nuanced understanding of chidren’s realities, with the UN CRC as cornerstone for more research and action on behalf of chidren, we have come to undestnad that while affected populations may indeed be vulnerable, this should not prevent us from seeing the considerable resilience of many individuals, families and communities. Even in the face of extremely stressful situations, some children are able to survive against all the odds. This ability to cope and continue functioning more easily than others similar circumstances is called 'resilience'. A resilience perspective gives us a particular view on how to put the principles of the CRC into practice. It is not a panacea, but both the CRC and the concept of resilience are reference points to guide action in a given situation, and must be put into practice in way adapted to local contexts and challenges. Neither one is a ‘technique’ that can be applied regardless of circumstance. From the many experience in the field, it has been shown that children are able to draw from internal and external support to help them cope and adapt with adversities in life. |
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