Building Resiliency

The results of the Kauai Longitudinal Research Study by social scientists Emmy E. Werner and Ruth S. Smith indicate that media specialists play an important part in promoting resiliency in adolescents through the following programs and services that encourage mentoring; reading; problem-solving and social skills, and hobbies. The author describes how each of the five types of programs builds resiliency and provides practical suggestions for implementing program ideas.

Adolescence is a time of transition from childhood to adulthood in which youth enter puberty, acquire advanced thinking abilities, and transition into new cultural and societal roles. During puberty, adolescents experience a rapid acceleration in growth, the development of primary and secondary sex characteristics, and an increase and redistribution of fat and muscle (Steinberg, 2002, p. 23).

These changes and transitions are sure to cause confusion among many adolescents. Teens may worry about body image. Girls are especially sensitive to the weight gain that is a natural part of the growth spurt which occurs during puberty. To combat this weight gain, some girls severely curtail eating to maintain their waif-like pre-teen appearance. Statistics compiled by the British Broadcasting Corporation, America's Time and Newsweek magazines, and the Canadian Medical Association Journal reveal that one in four teenage girls suffers eating disorders. "In many girls, the problems appear to be set in from a very early age and is caused by peer pressure and exposure to advertising" ("Scary statistics from around the world") Girls who mature early and boys who mature late are likely to become self-conscious because their maturation rate differs from their peers.

In order to become independent, adolescents must separate from their parents. This process may cause tension between parent and teen. Sometimes it may seem that teens challenge rules and argue just for the sake of challenging and arguing. Actually, these challenges and arguments provide adolescents with opportunities to practice and exercise their newly acquired cognitive skills which includes thinking hypothetically (Developing adolescents, 2002, p. 11)

The social transition of adolescence requires that young people make choices that previously did not exist to them (Steinberg, 2002, p. 7). For some, these choices are overwhelming. This is a time when teens must focus on vocational and educational objectives. The more stringent academic requirements of secondary school cause stress among many adolescents. Academically gifted students may have difficulty balancing studies and school activities with social life, and perhaps, a job. Many less motivated or academically prepared students are unable to maintain the pace and rigors of school and may drop out.

Furthermore, adolescence is a time of ambiguity. Society and culture, parents and teachers often do not understand the important changes that occur during adolescence which cause teens to behave in ways that some adults find disquieting. Because adults may not understand the psychological and social stressors impacting teens, they are unable to assist teens through this transition to adulthood. Some adolescents do not have parents or other adults whom they can count on to help them make good decisions about their life. For some, their parents may be unavailable to offer advice or be a role model because of divorce or long work hours. Some teens are overwhelmed by pressures and often become depressed. "Major depression is the No. 1 psychological disorder in the western world. It is growing in all age groups, in virtually every community, and the growth is seen most in the young, especially teens" ("Major depression facts,").

What can adults do to help teens make a successful and healthy transition from adolescence to adulthood? More specifically, what is the role of media specialists in supporting teens during this transition?

The answer is based in resiliency research. Resiliency is defined as "the ability to bounce back successfully despite exposure to severe risks" (Benard, 1993, p. 44). One of the most important resiliency studies, The Kauai Longitudinal Research Study, was conducted by Emmy E. Werner, a professor at the University of California at Davis, and Ruth S. Smith, a psychologist on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. The purpose of the study was to monitor the impact of a variety of biological and psychological risk factors, stressful life events, and protective factors on the development of all 505 babies born in 1955 on Kauai. These children were followed by Werner and Smith (1992) until they reached their early thirties. The results of their research indicate that there are protective factors that promote resiliency. These social scientists found that children and adolescents who had good health, a pleasing and even temperment, and some college education were more resilient than those who did not.

School media specialists can promote resiliency by developing programs and offering services based on the findings of the Kauai Longitudinal Research Study. Five factors identified by Werner and Smith are consistent with the goals, objectives, programs, and services of the school media center. This writer has coined the phrase the "Library Ladder of Resiliency" to bring attention to the five types of programs and services that promote resiliency as well as support the goals and objectives of the media program. These five resiliency building programs are: mentoring, reading, problem-solving skills, social skills, and hobbies. By basing media services and programs on the resiliency research, media specialists are able to prove that what they do does make a difference in the lives of teens.

The first resiliency factor is mentoring. Werner and Smith found mentoring to be an important factor to protect children and adolescents from adversities. Resilient teens "relied on informal networks of kin and neighbors, peers, and elders, for counsel and support in times of crisis. Some had a favorite teacher who had become a role model, friend, and confidant for them" (Werner and Smith, 1992, p. 57). The resilient adolescents remember one or two teachers who made a difference in their lives (Krovetz, 1999, p. 9).

There are many opportunities for school media specialists to position themselves to become mentors. "Media specialists have opportunities to connect with children and teens in ways that classroom teachers do not because we tend to work with students in a one-on-one supportive relationship, helping them find and use information on a variety of topics, both academic and personal" (Jones, 2003, p. 48). Not only does the mentored teen benefit, but also does the media center program because the school media specialist is knowledgeable about adolescents and is able to provide books and resources and develop programs and services that are supportive of teens" development.

The second resiliency factor is reading. Werner and Smith found that most of the resilient children and adolescents had at least competence in reading skills and that "effective reading skills by grade four [ages nine and ten] was one of the most potent predictors of successful adult adaptation" (Krovetz, 1999, p. 9). Media specialists are integral to promoting reading and literacy because of their knowledge of books and resources and their dedication to uniting teens with these books and resources. The biological, cognitive, and social changes that occur during adolescence usher in a period of "reorganization and restructuring of the individual's sense of self" (Steinberg, 2002, p. 256). The successful formation of the adolescent's identity directly correlates to his or her future psychological health and self-esteem. "Young adults struggle, often in isolation with postmodern identity issues, family displacement, globalization, cultural and ethnic issues, job losses, and other problems that schools need to address" (Bean, 2002, p. 37). Teens want to read about other teens and their lifestyles and struggles. They want to read about characters who successfully develop their identity. Reading helps teens formulate their identity.

One specific program that promotes reading is "Reading for the Fun of It!" In this program developed by the author, a high school media specialist, students 14 to 18 years of age were able to travel to a local bookstore with her to select books of personal and recreational interest to them and their peers. These books were then placed in a special easy browsing section in the school media center. Reading for the Fun of It! benefits both the school media center and the teens in several ways. First, the school media center benefits because the teens act as "collection development advisors" and conduits to the selection of books and resources that are of interest to them. It has been shown that the most effective route to adolescent literacy is providing teens with books  and lots of choices  that they want to read. "The research supports the commonsense view that when books are readily available, when the print environment is rich, more reading is done" (Krashen, 1993, p. 33). Second, teens benefit because they are able to spend time with a caring adult who values their opinions and purchases books that can aide their transition into adulthood.

The third resiliency factor is problem-solving skills. Resilient teens are able to research and utilize information and other resources to solve problems. Most often students research problems assigned by the teacher. However, sometimes students have the need to research and solve personal problems. Media specialists who teach problem-solving or an information literacy model prepare students to find and utilize information to solve both academic and personal problems. The teaching of critical thinking skills should have a strong information component in which teens research authentic problems of interest to them .

One strategy for teaching problem-solving and critical thinking skills is to adapt a variation on booktalking, called Interactive Booktalking. Booktalking is a "formal or informal presentation about a book or group of books designed to entice the listener into reading them" (Chelton, 1976, p. 39). Booktalking combines the "art of storytelling and salesmanship to demonstrate the pure enjoyment of recreational reading" (Reeder, 1991, p. 5). By its nature, booktalking is one-sided. The public librarian or school media specialist presents the booktalk without much opportunity for youth participation.

The purpose of Interactive Booktalking is to engage students in discussions about real world problems of interest to teens. Interactive booktalking promotes problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Students are encouraged to bring their own experiences to the discussion. In this technique, the storytelling-like presentation is deemphasized while teens are encouraged to read and discuss selected passages.

The first step in interactive booktalking is to choose books on topics and subjects that teens want to read and discuss. An Interactive Booktalking session generally consists of reading and discussing three or four passages from one book. The passages are read by the media specialist with the students following along silently. Storytelling and presentation techniques may be used to draw teens into the drama of the book. After the passage is read, students are asked questions developed by the media specialist. However, students may be encouraged to develop their own questions about the text. Students use prediction and inference skills, identify character traits, and discuss the language and words.

Interactive Booktalking has a strong impact on students' literacy by improving reading skills through prediction and inference skills; developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills through interaction with the book and discussion with other students; enhancing speaking skills, and providing teens with the opportunity to become acquainted with the media specialist.

A fourth resiliency factor is social skills. Teens who have well developed social skills are able to make friends and keep them. A teen's popularity during adolescence is based on his or her social skill. "Popular adolescents act appropriately in the eyes of their peers, are skilled at perceiving and meeting the needs of other, and are confident without being conceited" (Steinberg, 2002, p. 187). Although not all teens value popularity, the inability to create a social network can lead to depression (Koplewicz, 2002, p. 52). Social skills can be taught by fostering, encouraging, and modeling. School media specialists promote social skills whenever they support and host activities that encourage teens to make friends and work together.

"The Lunch Bunch" one such example of a program to enhance social skills, was developed by a Nelle Martin, a high school media specialist in Florida. When this school library media specialist noticed that the same students came alone to the media center every day during lunch instead of spending time with friends in the cafeteria, she decided to introduce these friendless students to each other. By talking to the students, Martin learned that many of them were new to the school and had not yet made friends. They told her they were too fearful to enter the cafeteria. To help ease their social fears, Martin purchased chess and checkers games for them to play during lunch. She let them eat their lunch together in a secluded spot in the school media center. Sometimes "The Lunch Bunch" students helped her by performing minor chores around the media center. Martin was astounded and pleased to see how these students flourished as they developed friendships within the group. In this way, the media specialist assumed an active role in promoting a safe environment for these students who were previously friendless.

A fifth protective factor is hobbies and interests. Werner and Smith found that "extracurricular activities played an important part in the lives of the resilient youth" (1993, p. 57). Hobbies and interests promote competence and self-esteem. In addition, teens who are confronted by stressful situations and problems may momentarily forget their troubles when they participate in hobbies and interests. Media specialists promote resiliency when they select books and resources that encourage hobbies and interests. Media specialists can help teens learn about hobbies and interests by developing displays and arranging for community members to give workshops and demonstrations.

The resiliency research provides media specialists with the opportunity to evaluate and align their services and programs to meet the needs of teens. Resiliency research supports what media specialists have known all along: the media center is not only the heart, but also the soul of the school.

References

Bean, T. W. (2002). Making reading relevant for adolescents. Educational Leadership, 60(3), 34-37.

Benard, B. (1993, August). Fostering resiliency in kids. Educational Leadership, 51(3), 44-48.

Chelton, M. K. (1976). Booktalking: You can do it. School Library Journal, 22, 39-42.

Developing adolescents: A reference for professionals. (2002).American Psychological Association. Retrieved January 13, 2003, from http://www.apa.org/pi/pii/develop.pdf.

Jones, J. L. (2003). I build resiliency. Library Media Connection, 21(4), 48-49.

Koplewicz, H. S. (2002). More than moody: Recognizing and treating adolescent depression. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Krashen, S. (1993). The power of reading: Insights from the research. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, Inc.

Krovetz, M. L. (1999). Fostering resiliency: Expecting all students to use their minds and hearts well. Thousands Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.

Major depression facts. (2002). Retrieved January 20, 2003, from Clinical-Depression.co.uk Web site: http://www.clinical-depression.co.uk/Depression_Information/facts.htm

Reeder, G. M. (n.d.). Effect of booktalks on adolescent reading attitudes (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nebraska, 1991). Dissertation Abstracts, 2. (UMI No. 9129570)

Scary statistics from around the world. (n.d.). Retrieved January 24, 2003, from The New Zealand Health Information Network Web site: http://www.nzhealth.net.nz/diet/scary.html

Steinberg, L. (2002). Adolescence (6th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Werner, E. E., and Smith, R. S. (1992). Overcoming the odds: High risk children from birth to adulthood. Ithica, NY: Cornell University Press.

Read more articles on resiliency.

Inquiries? Please contact Dr. Jami Jones