Debate: Young people are living in unprecedented times - too much chaos or too little resilience? Protecting young people in perilous times calls for bolstering multisystem resilience as well as mitigating risk

Abstract

Young people around the world are threatened by increasing chaos and danger from armed conflicts, natural disasters, climate change, forced displacement, disease epidemics, and related adversities. This perilous situation raises a critical question: Are we doing enough to protect and prepare young people to adapt and thrive? Developmental research on risk and resilience suggests that the answer to this question is no, but there is considerable evidence to guide practice and policy going forward. Both reducing risk and bolstering resilience are essential strategies for promoting positive outcomes in a generation of young people contending with rising global chaos. Moreover, evidence suggests that the resilience of children depends on the operations and interactions of many systems within and around them that are amenable to change. These include neurobiological and psychological adaptive systems and supportive relationships, as well as safe and effective schools and communities. Building resilience for the younger generation is an investment in the future resilience of societies.