Resilience in a Time of War
Tips for Parents and Teachers of Teens

Introduction

Although your teens may tower over you, they are still very young and can keenly feel the fear and uncertainty of a time of war, especially because terrorism has brought fear so close to home...

Events are uncertain for teens. Their friends' parents, their own parents, or maybe their older friends may be called away to serve in the military. It may seem that their friends'opinions are the only ones that matter, but teens still look to teachers and parents to make them feel safe in a time of war. As your teens hover on the brink of adulthood, you may wonder how you can teach them to move beyond the fears that a time of war brings. The good news is that, just as your teen learns to play basketball or a musical instrument, your teen can learn the skills of resilience -- the ability to adapt well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or even significant sources of stress.

What are some tips that can help you teach your teen resilience? As you use these tips, keep in mind that each person's journey along the road to resilience will be different and that your own knowledge of your teen will guide you.

Next page: 10 Tips

Documents from apahelpcenter.org may be reprinted in their entirety with credit given to the American Psychological Association. Any exceptions to this, including requests to excerpt or paraphrase documents from apahelpcenter.org, must be presented in writing to helping@apa.org and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Permission for exceptions will be given on a one-time-only basis and must be sought for each additional use of the document.