This study investigated the level of resilience of adolescents living in child welfare centers according to demographic characteristics. Additionally, the purpose of the study was to verify the multisystemic protective factors which would improve the ...
This study investigated the level of resilience of adolescents living in child welfare centers according to demographic characteristics. Additionally, the purpose of the study was to verify the multisystemic protective factors which would improve the resilience of adolescents based on a perspective of strengths. Based on the multisystemic perspective regarding adolescent behavior as organized by Henggeler, multisystemic protective factors with a positive effect on resilience of adolescents in residential care are composed of personal systemic factors (self-esteem, problem solving ability), facility systemic factors (relationships of facility employees, support from peers within facility, physical environment of facility), school systemic factors (democratic school atmosphere, support from teachers, support from friends), and regional society systemic factors (participation of regional society organizations, utilization of regional society services). Such factors were utilized for analysis of their effects on resilience.
In order to achieve such objectives, a survey was conducted for facility adolescents aged 13 ~18 attending middle and high school under cooperation of a child welfare facility located within Gyeongnam region. A total of 155 surveys were collected for analysis. Statistical analysis was conducted with SPSS for Windows ver. 12.0 program for t-test, One-Way ANOVA, correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and hierarchical analysis.
The results of the analysis are as follows.
First, the results of general level of resilience for facility adolescents showed that most adolescents had above average resilience, demonstrating a relatively high level of resilience.
Second, the results of differences of each protective factor in accordance to demographic characteristics showed the following results. First, among personal systemic factors, self-esteem showed a statistically significant result according to religion, school grades (mid>low). For problem solving ability, results showed a statistically significant result according to school grades (mid>low).
Second, among facility systemic factors, relationships of facility employees and support from peers within facility did not display a statistically significant result. For physical environment of facility, sex (men<women), age (middle school > high school), school grade (high<mid, high<low) showed a statistically significant result.
Third, among school systemic factors, a democratic school atmosphere showed a statistically significant result for age (middle school > high school). For support from teachers, all demographic characteristics did not display a statistically significant result. For support from friends, sex (men < women) showed a statistically significantly result. Fourth, for regional society systemic factors, participation of regional society organizations and utilization of regional society services showed a statistically significant result according to religion.
Next, the results of differences in levels of resilience according to demographic characteristics are as follows. The resilience of facility adolescents did not display a statistically significant result for any demographic characteristic. For optimism, a lower level of resilience, a statistically significant result was shown according to school grades (mid > low).
Next, the results of analysis of multisystemic protective factors affecting resilience of facility adolescents are as follows. First, the results of the effects of personal systemic protective factors on resilience showed that resilience increased as self-esteem increased or as problem solving ability increased. Second, the results of analysis of facility systemic protective factors affecting resilience showed that resilience increased as support from peers increased, yet neither physical environment of facility nor relationships of facility employees resulted in a statistically significant result. Third, the results of analysis of school systemic protective factors on resilience showed that resilience increased as support from friends increased or as support from teachers increased. However, democratic school atmosphere did not result in a statistically significant result. Fourth, the results of analysis of regional society systemic protective factors on resilience showed that resilience increased as regional society services were more actively utilized. However, participation of regional society organizations did not display a statistically significant result.
Lastly, the results of analysis on the relative effect of multiystemic protective factors on the resilience of facility adolescents showed that multisystemic protective factors under the premise to have an effect on the resilience of facility adolescents showed that the explanatory nature of the model gradually increased as such factors were sequentially inserted according to the independent variable group. In addition, a look at the relative effectiveness on resilience of the independent variable group through the final stage of model 5 where all of the independent variable group has been inserted displayed a relative effectiveness of resilience in the order of self-esteem, support of friends, problem solving ability, and support of teachers.
Based on such results, this study proposes methods to introduce such measures in social welfare. Additionally, the study also proposed its limitations and potential future studies.