Resilience is something that can be potentially achieved by all children and youth.

A key framework within resilience theory are protective factors. Protective factors promote encouraging outcomes and help us manage risk. Protective factors are not always outstanding moments in a child’s life, but rather they can be everyday skills that are built overtime (like learning how to be patient).

The protective factors in resilience theory are:

1. Positive relationships with caring adults
2. Effective care giving and parenting
3. Thinking and problem-solving skills
4. Self-regulation skills
5. Having a sense of self-efficacy and control
6. Being motivated to achieve
7. Positive friends or romantic partners
8. Faith, hope, spirituality
9. Beliefs that life has meaning
10. Effective teachers and schools