In the last two decades, there has been a good deal of research that has focused on "resilient students." This research has defined these students as those who academically succeed despite their experiencing various strong stressors (e.g., poverty, parental divorce, etc.) that place them at risk of school failure (Christiansen, Christiansen & Howard, 1997). In each of these studies, researchers have found some characteristics which they identify as contributive to the success of these disadvantaged students.
For example, Dutrow and Houston (1981) observed that resilient students are: self-accepting, responsible, tolerant, flexible and self-controlled. Winfield (1998) found that resilient students were highly socially competent with both peers and adults. Also, they had good problem-solving skills, were non-defensive, non-aggressive, emotionally stable, had good feelings of personal power, were cooperative and empathic.
A number of other studies have observed these same characteristics in resilient students (e.g., McMillian & Reed, 1993; Patrick, 1995; Worrell, 1996). Further, these studies have also found that resilient students had a number of additional qualities including: expectation of school and career success, expectation of having a good job of age 30 years, a belief in the importance of going to college, and strong hope in the future (McMillian & Reed, 1993, Westfall & Pisapia, 1984; Worrell, 1996). Further, resilient students were found to have long-term goals, to keep themselves busy with positive activities, and to have at least one significant adult in their lives who they feel has really helped them (Patrick, 1995; McMillian & Reed, 1993).
In all of the studies just cited, disadvantaged students exhibiting the foregoing "resilient" characteristics evidenced significantly greater academic success than did disadvantaged students who did not have these characteristics. Moreover, in several of these studies, i...