Youth Rights and Resilience

Adolescents and young adults are experiencing a high rate of risk for sexual violence, which may be re-victimization experiences. Research in sexual violence risk highlights the needs and areas for resilience interventions... [ view full abstract ]

Adolescents and young adults are experiencing a high rate of risk for sexual violence, which may be re-victimization experiences. Research in sexual violence risk highlights the needs and areas for resilience interventions within a trauma-informed approach. Current resilience work supports meeting the needs of youth with complex trauma histories by creating the therapeutic context, with a focus on relationship-based resilience and matching to personality styles. Similarly, professionals' resilience in child maltreatment is augmented by novel learning approaches, involving arts education alongside clinical problem-based learning. This symposium looks to present on programming developed with youth voice and extended to special populations of youth where context is critical, youth rights are potentially compromised, and resilience resources are important to galvanize youth resilience processes.  We target youth sub-groups (residential, child welfare system-involved, Indigenous youth receiving clinical services, and high school youth experiencing trauma-related issues of depression, substance use, and personality vulnerabilities). We focus on prevention programming and maximizing the service-to-need match for youth to optimize resilience. Specifically, the attachment, regulation and competence intervention approach (ARC) has emphasized relationships for supporting youth in residential care (Dr. Collin-Vezina, presenter). By targeting personality style and vulnerabilities, programmatic needs for the prevention of health risk behaviours in the context of trauma is discussed (Dr. Sherry Stewart, Presenter).  Targeting a broad spectrum of youth outcomes, the cognitive-behavioural approach has been adapted to the school setting context in the Adventure and Preventure programs (Dr. Patricia Conrod, presenter).  A fit to context and culture is discussed in the Indigenous approach to resilience in youth for youth receiving mental health services (Dr. Chris Mushquash, presenter).  Finally, child welfare-involved youth provide important input on sexual violence experiences that may be undetected (Wekerle). Taken together, presentations put a focus on supporting youth rights and opportunities for youth voice and participation in clinical research.