RESILIENCE OF GIFTED ADOLESCENTS. SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS
RESILIENCE OF GIFTED ADOLESCENTS. SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS

Summary/Abstract: Institutionalization is one difficult moment in anybody’s life. This study has identified the protective factors manifested by gifted resilient adolescents after being institutionalized. The two-stage research was conducted in Iași (between November 2015 – June 2016) and had a quantitative component (based on questionnaire analysis) and a qualitative component (based on interview analyses). The resilience of adolescents is the result of three types of factors: internal characteristics, family-related characteristics and social environment characteristics. This study has identified the following external protective factors: a supportive family, a school environment providing information according to the capacities and interests of the gifted adolescents and a residential environment providing opportunities for self-exploration and continuous development. Another important external factor is the group of friends, a source of affection, sympathy and moral guidance, a proper space to experiment and to gain autonomy and independence from parents. The internal protective factors identified are: a good self-image, awareness of one’s individual abilities and their valorisation, motivation, a high degree of emotional development, the ability to be aware and express their own emotions, as well as a high level of self- efficacy. All these factors were identified in adolescents that achieved high scores on the resilience scale. In addition to internal and external factors, an important aspect is the perception of adolescents about these factors. The way adolescents relate to similar situations is different, so the consequences of the same event differ greatly from one adolescent to another.

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