ABSTRACT
Resilience derives from the Latin resilire meaning to leap back. Essentially, it is often seen as the ability, when faced with challenges or adversity, to either 'bounce back' or even resist being 'knocked down' in the first place. The concept of resilience has been defined over the years as the process of, capacity for, or outcome of successful adaptation despite challenging or threatening circumstances and as 'normal development under difficult circumstances'. Bengt Lindstrom and Jonas Jernstrom use an illustrated model of health in the 'River of Life' to demonstrate the links between mental health and resilience. The concept of resilience increasingly offers an alternative framework for intervention, the focus being on the assessment of potential areas of strength within the young person's whole system. Adversity can be at a surface level or it can run very deep. With some support, many children will develop their own inner resilience – or keel resistance – in the face of low-level adversity.
