Young people in conditions of social vulnerability: factors that help the development of resilience

Abstract

This paper is based on a research study that aimed to understand the factors that promote resilience in adolescents in situation of social vulnerability. Some authors who supported this research in the field of (auto)biographical research were Furlanetto, Passeggi, and Souza. On the other hand, Cyrulnik, Yunes, Cassol, and Antoni allowed to investigate the concept of resilience. The methodology of this study involved some (auto)biographical research that used narrative interviews to produce data. The participants of this study were adolescents living in situation of social vulnerability who came from a non-governmental organization (NGO), located in a community in the city of São Paulo. Based on the analysis of collected data, it was possible to say that the researched adolescents maintained their affective family ties. Most of the participants recognized the key role played by their mother in introducing fundamental values. While considering the role of the school and teachers, adolescents showed to understand the school as a place for learning and building ties with both schoolmates and teachers, who have offered them affection and support. The psychological benefits of sports were also mentioned.