It has become commonplace to identify that certain children in this modern complex
society are "at risk" of failing to succeed in life because of the adversities
of their young lives. Poverty, family discord, violence, substance abuse, and
illness are among the hazards.

Policymakers worry not only that such children stand little chance of
reaching their potential as adults, but also that they are likely to become so
dysfunctional they may not be capable of self-support or rewarding relationships
with others.

Children become identified as at risk because of both biological and environmental
factors (Honig, 1984), although it must be noted that biology and environment ar
not entirely independent. Chief among the biological factors are congenital
defects and low birth weight, which are more likely when low income mothers fail
to get adequate nutrition and medical care during pregnancy. Similarly, children
of drug-addicted mothers may be born with serious physical and emotional
problems that are really environmental in origin. Children who are born healthy
may join the ranks of those at risk because of poverty, family discord and
disorganization, violence and abuse, substance abuse, numerous siblings,
parental mental illness, or parents with minimal education. These environmental
conditions disrupt the care giving process as parents become less able to
provide either the structure or the love that are so important to the
development of self-esteem and diligence.

The concept of risk has been common in the medical field. It has only recently entered
the language of education (Jens & Gordon, 1991) and is frequently
misunderstood. While risk implies the potential for negative outcome, it also
suggests that negative outcome may be avoided.

In this article, we discuss resiliency as it refers to positive outcomes in at-risk
children, review studies that have helped identify how and why some at-risk
children prosper in spite of risk, and consider the specific protective or
buffering factors that prove helpful to these children.