ABSTRACT
During the 1970s a group of pioneering psychologists and psychiatrists began to draw the attention of scientists to the phenomenon of resilience in children at risk for psychopathology and problems in development due to genetic or experiential circumstances. These pioneers argued that research on children who developed well in the context of risk or adversity held the potential to inform theories of etiology in psychopathology and to learn what makes a difference in the lives of children at risk that could guide intervention and policy (Anthony, 1974; Garmezy, 1971, 1974; Murphy, 1974; Murphy & Moriarty, 1976; Rutter, 1979; Werner & Smith, 1982). Their calls to action inspired two decades of investigation that has yielded models, methods, and data about this family of phenomena, as well as controversies, criticisms, and media attention (Luther, Cicchetti, & Becker, 2000; Masten, 1999b; Masten & Coatsworth, 1998).
