MODULE THREE Self-esteem and resilience

Contents Maslows hierarchy of needs Self-esteem Defining resilience Risk and protective factors Building resilience

Overview The module will give participants an understanding of resilience, the elements that uild and maintain resilience, and the personal, family, school and community risk and protective factors for young people! Duration This module will take appro"imately ## to $# minutes to complete! Learning outcomes By the end of this session participants will have an understanding of how to encourage good self-esteem! They will also understand more a out the important role mentoring plays in uilding resilience in young people! Resources %andout &!' - Maslows hierarchy of needs %andout &!( - Self-esteem %andout &!& - Resilience %andout &!) - Building resilience

Module Three: Self-esteem and resilience '

Running sheet To ic !ctivit" Overview The module will give participants an understanding of resilience, the elements that build and maintain resilience, and the personal, family, school and community risk and protective factors for young people. *ntroduce and discuss +Maslows hierarchy of needs ,%andout &!' Discuss self-esteem

Duration #a ro$%& ( mins

Maslow's hierarch" of needs Selfesteem

# mins

'# mins

People s thoughts and feelings about themselves fluctuate depending on daily e!periences. Selfesteem goes beyond situational "ups and downs , and good self-esteem mitigates the daily fluctuations in our well-being. Self-esteem evolves throughout our lives as we build an image of ourselves through our e!periences and relationships. (rainstorm session) .hat are some of the conse/uences of low self-esteem0 1rovide handout and discuss additional conse/uences! *ntroduce strategies for uilding self-esteem ,%andout &!(*ntroduce the concept of resilience

Defining resilience

( mins

"#esilience is the happy knack of being able to bungy $ump through the pitfalls of life. %ven when hardships and adversity arise it is as if the person has an elastic rope around them that helps them to rebound when things get low and to maintain their sense of who they are as a person. &'ndrew (uller, psychologist)

Module Three: Self-esteem and resilience (

Ris* and rotective factors

Activity: Identifying protective factors (Handout 3.3) This activity gives participants an opportunity to reflect on how mentoring can provide protective factors to young people! 3sk participants to reak into pairs and identify which protective factors they elieve mentoring could contri ute to! 3sk pairs to feed ack their findings! The following areas are protective factors that mentoring can influence2 cultures of co-operation sta ility and connection a good relationship with an adult outside the family opportunities for meaningful contri ution having someone outside your family who elieves in you feeling loved and respected warm relationship with at least one person developing a talent and 4est for life!

'# mins

(uilding resilience

1resent /uotes from resilience researchers2

'# mins

"* Most of all, self-esteem and self-efficacy were promoted through supportive relationships. The resilient youngsters in our study all had at least one person in their lives who accepted them. &Prof. %mmy +erner) ",ne factor helping at-risk children beat the heavy odds against them was the presence in their lives of a charismatic adult - a person with whom they identify and from whom they gather support. &.r /ulius Segal) #esearch tells us that having a positive adult rolemodel in their lives greatly increases the resilience of young people.

Module Three: Self-esteem and resilience &

(rainstorm session) %ow can you help uild the resilience of the young person you are mentoring0 Discuss responses with reference to handout on uilding resilience ,%andout &!)-

[Optional] Activity: How mentors can

help uild resilience This activity aims to provide participants with an opportunity to e"plore ways to support resilience in young people! Scenario) /ames is 01 years old and feeling overwhelmed by school and his chaotic home life. 2e has always wanted to be a vet, but says he doesn t really like studying and doesn t get good marks. 2e often says he feels "dumb and "useless and isn t very positive about his schoolmates or school. 2e s thinking of leaving school to get a $ob to earn some cash, but doesn t really know what do ne!t. 2ow would you help build /ames resilience3

5(6 mins7

Module Three: Self-esteem and resilience )

%38D9:T &!' Maslows hierarchy of needs

Maslows %ierarchy of 8eeds' is generally accepted as a fundamental part of the field of human-resource development! *t also helps e"plain the idea of self-esteem! Maslow elieved that people meet their needs in ascending order from the most asic need for survival! ;or e"ample, a person usually meets their physiological needs ,food, sleepefore their needs for elonging and self-esteem! The hierarchy helps e"plain why some young people are not ready to engage in a mentoring relationship! They may remain at the two lowest levels ecause survival is their num er-one priority, or ecause their safety and security needs are not eing met! Mentors and program staff need to e aware that if a young person is homeless or involved in an a usive relationship, they may not e a le to engage as easily in a mentoring relationship! Mentoring offers support to young people as they move into the top sections of the hierarchy, particularly when considering a sense of elonging and self-esteem!

Maslow, 3!%!, '<)&! +3 Theory of %uman Motivation, Psychological #eview, #6,)-2&$6-<=!

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%38D9:T &!( Self-esteem

1eoples thoughts and feelings a out themselves fluctuate depending on daily e"periences, like how others treat them and what happens at school or work! These factors all temporarily affect our well- eing and may result in a range of feelings from anger to >oy and from frustration to elation! Self-esteem goes eyond situational +ups and downs! ?ood self-esteem mitigates the daily fluctuations in our well- eing! ;or people with poor or low self-esteem these ups and downs can make all the difference in the world!

+here does self-esteem come from,

Self-esteem develops and evolves throughout life as we uild an image of ourselves through our e"periences and relationships! @hildhood e"periences play a crucial role in shaping selfesteem! Successes and failures, and how young people are treated y family, teachers, peers and others all contri ute to peoples evolving self-esteem!

Conse-uences of low self-esteem

Aow self-esteem can have devastating conse/uences, such as2 an"iety, stress, loneliness and increased likelihood of depression pro lems with friends and relationships impaired academic and >o performance under-achievement and increased vulnera ility to drug and alcohol misuse a downward spiral of lower self-esteem, and non-productive or self-destructive ehaviour!

Module Three: Self-esteem and resilience =

Strategies for .uilding self-esteem

!voiding /shoulds'% @oncentrate on doing what is possi le and what feels right instead of paying attention to the +shoulds of others! Res ecting ersonal needs% Self-care is a out identifying longer-term fulfilment, not >ust immediate gratification! By respecting personal needs, individuals can increase self-worth and well- eing! Setting achieva.le goals and working step y step to get there! Engaging in ositive self-tal*% Try to stay positive and dont allow the +inner critic to take over! Telling yourself that you are ok and you can succeed can e very powerful! E$ eriencing success y doing things that stretch ut dont overwhelm your a ilities! Ta*ing chances% 8ew e"periences are learning e"periencesB mistakes are part of the process! ;eel good a out trying something new! Solving ro.lems% ;ace rather than avoid pro lems! *dentify ways to solve or cope with challenges! Ma*ing decisions% 1ractise making decisions and trust yourself to deal with the conse/uences! Develo ing s*ills% Cnow what you can and cant do! 3ssess the skills you needB learn and practise those! Em hasising "our strengths% ;ocus on what you can do rather than what you cannot! Aive comforta ly with limitations, and consider what strengths to develop ne"t! Rel"ing on "our own o inion of "ourself% Aisten to feed ack from others, ut dont rely on it! 3pply your own values to making decisions a out what is right for you! ( 0ind o ortunities to hel others% This can help put your own life and struggles in perspective! %elping others can make you feel you are have a positive impact on the world around you!

3dapted from the 4ippsland Mentoring 'lliance Training Package , Trafalgar, Dictoria2 ?ippsland Mentoring 3lliance!

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%38D9:T &!& Resilience

"#esilience is the happy knack of being able to bungy $ump through the pitfalls of life. %ven when hardships and adversity arise it is as if the person has an elastic rope around them that helps them to rebound when things get low and to maintain their sense of who they are as a person. ,3ndrew ;uller, (rom Surviving to Thriving-

Ris* and

rotective factors for "oung

eo le

Risk factors are elements of a young persons life that can prevent them from eing a le to ounce ack! They e"ist in all areas of young peoples lives E community, school, family, and within the individual themselves! The more risk factors present in a young persons life, the greater the risk of developing pro lems like su stance misuse, delin/uent ehaviour, dropping out of education, unwanted pregnancy and violence! 1rotective ,or resilience- factors are key to young people eing a le to navigate through lifes challenges! 3ccess to protective factors can lessen the impact of risk factors in a persons life! 1rotective factors are like a safety net that prevents young people from falling hard!

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Level Communit"

Ris* factors 3vaila ility of drugs Media portrayals of violence Transitions and mo ility Aow neigh ourhood attachment and community disorganisation 1overty

1rotective factors2 @ultures of co-operation Sta ility and connection ?ood relationship with an adult outside the family 9pportunities for meaningful contri ution 3 sense of elonging and fitting in 1ositive achievements and evaluations at school %aving someone outside your family who elieves in you 3ttendance at preschool 3 sense of connectedness to family ;eeling loved and respected 1roactive pro lem solving and minimal conflict during infancy Maintenance of family rituals .arm relationship with at least one person 3 sence of divorce in adolescence 3 +good fit etween parents and child Temperament and activity level, social responsively autonomous Developed a talent and 4est for life .ork success during adolescence %igh intelligence ,when not paired with sensitive temperament-

School

Detachment from school 3cademic failure, especially in the middle years Garly and persistent antisocial ehaviour Aow parental interest in education

0amil"

%istory of pro lem alcohol or drug use *nappropriate family management ;amily conflict 3lcoholHdrugs interfere with family rituals %arsh or inconsistent parenting Marital insta ility or conflict ;avoura le parental attitudes towards risk-taking ehaviours

3ndividual and eer

@onstitutional factors, alienation, re elliousness, novelty seeking Seeing peers taking drugs ;riends with pro lem ehaviour 1ositive attitude to pro lem ehaviour Garly initiation of the pro lem ehaviour

%awkins, I!D!, @atalano, R!;! and Miller, I!, '<<(! +Risk and 1rotective ;actors for 3lcohol and 9ther Drug 1ro lems in 3dolescence and Garly 3dulthood2 *mplications for Su stance 3 use 1revention, Psychological 5ulletin, ''(,'-2=)-'6#!

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%38D9:T &!) Building resilience

"*Most of all, self-esteem and self-efficacy were promoted through supportive relationships. The resilient youngsters in our study all had at least one person in their lives who accepted them. &Prof. %mmy +erner)6

",ne factor helping at-risk children 7young people with many risk factors in their lives8 beat the heavy odds against them was the presence in their lives of a charismatic adult - a person with whom they identify and from whom they gather support. &.r /ulius Segal)9

Research tells us that having a positive adult role-model in their lives greatly increases the resilience of young people!

Strategies that .uild resilience

%elp the young person set realistic goals and take small steps to achieve them! Be a positive person and compliment the young person ,without overdoing it-! Gncourage them to identify and spend more time with optimistic peopleB i!e! people who do positive things, play sport, environment groups! %elp them recognise the good things around them! 3dmit that sometimes there are things you cant do yet, ut show that you still try! Gncourage and >oin them in e"ercising, learning new skills and eing active! Role model how you accept your mistakes and apologise when it is appropriate! Take time to reflect on and cele rate even small achievements! Try new things together and keep an open mind!

.erner, Gmmy G!, and Smith, Ruth G!, '<<(! ,vercoming the ,dds: 2igh #isk :hildren form 5irth to 'dulthood, *thica, 8J2 @ornell :niversity 1ress! 5 Segal, I!, '<FF! +Teachers %ave Gnormous 1ower in 3ffecting a @hildKs Self-Gsteem, The 5rown ;niversity :hild 5ehaviour and .evelopment <ewsletter , )2'-&!

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