By SCNU
hits
Title: "The resilience of young people: Stories and research from three countries"
Speaker: Associate Professor Peter Newcombe (The University of Queensland)
Time: Monday, 17th September, 2018
Address: Rm. 201, School of Psychology
personal profile:
Dr.Newcombe was Graduated with a PhD in Psychology from the university of Queensland in 1997. He is associate professor in School of Psychology, university of Quessnsland. He is developmental Psychologist with research interests involving the giving of evidence in courtroms by young children. More recently, research involving qualty of life issues (ie physical, social, psychological well-being) of children with chronic illnesses.
Abstract:
This talk will focus on research carried out with young people in three different countries-Sri Lanka, Fiji, and Australia. It will show how, despite the hardships that society might deliver to them, young people show a level of resilience that aids their survival and prepares them for later adult life.
The work in Sri Lanka explored the relationship between parental use of psychological aggression and psychological maladjustment in 12-year-old children. With our sample of 1,226 children, the annual prevalence of psychological aggression reported was 75%. The experience of psychological aggression was shown to be associated with psychological maladjustment in children with this relationship being mediated by various risk and protective factors. The importance of these factors in building resilience to the negative consequences of psychological aggression will be discussed.
In Fiji, we investigated the experiences of 20 Indigenous Fijian adolescents living on the streets. Society tends to adopt negative views of these young people as they are seen to engage in behaviours like petty crime and drug addiction. However these stereotypes may not reflect the reality of their lives as they strive to survive. Through interviews and focus groups, we found that these street children are resourceful and their determination to survive on the streets is often overlooked.
Our work in Australia has focused on the qualities of homeless young people that are, somewhat surprisingly, shared by successful entrepreneurs. This study pioneers an understanding of the resilience and boundary-stretching tendencies of the entrepreneur, the entrepreneurial potential in homeless young people, the areas of similarity between the two groups. Findings suggest that entrepreneurs can be characterized by a combination of seeking creative opportunity, being resourceful and resilient, and a willingness to break with convention – characteristics also seen in a young person’s ability to survive on the streets.
Overall, our research has identified resilience and potential in young people-at-risk and this knowledge has the potential to inform ways of engaging young people.