ABSTRACT
Consider these children to have fallen among thieves, the thieves of ignorance and sin and ill-fate and loss. Their birthrights were stolen. They have no belongings.
-Karl Menninger (1982)
This study set out to examine perspectives on risk, at risk, and resil iency in children and adolescents and factors associated with greater ad versity and vulnerability, or greater resiliency, in the context of a global discourse on risk theory for both children and youth and front-line prac titioners. Thus, it has felt like a roller coaster at times. A sample of these children and adolescents at significant risk for a range of psychological and social difficulties was chosen in 1995 (n = 17) based on risk factors including individual factors, family factors, and support factors. The re search data from this study suggests that providing for children and youth designated by authorities as being at risk or high risk with intervention programmes will enjoy only limited success unless a much more encom passing child and youth care perspective is entertained and actively sup ported. A variety of programmes which build on individual resiliency traits must become the norm. Nonetheless, providing physical and emo tional resources matters significantly to at-risk children and young people as indicated from the four child and youth care sections uncovered in the interview data: safety, self-acceptance, belonging, and finding opportunity.
