A preventative program for young adolescent boys to build resiliency as a life skill

Abstract

In this study the term resilience in relevance to adolescents is explored in depth with the aim to suggest a preventative programme for social workers working with young adolescent boys within the child and youth care centre. The aim of the study is to explore and describe the experiences of young adolescent boys in a child and youth care facility with an emphasis on the configuration process of the self within the gestalt perspective in order to understand and develop resiliency as a life skill. In addition to provide recommendations in the form of a preventative programme for social workers working in child and youth care facilities. Qualitative research was utilized to guide the research process. Applied research was used and gestalt play therapy and field theory formed the paradigm for this study. Within the field of Gestalt play therapy, the researcher focussed on the work of Erwin and Miriam Polster who explained the development of the self. The population of the study was young adolescent boys between the ages of 15 – 21. Data collection took place by means of two focus groups. In the first group the experiences of late adolescent boys who displayed resilience and who were successfully placed out of a child and youth care centre were described and explored as well as to use as a guideline for younger boys that needs to follow the same process. The second focus group were with professionals with the same process were used. The data collected from the two focus groups and the literature study form the basis for the resiliency as a life skill programme