In physics, resilience is understood as the ability of an object or a body to resist the impact of an external force. In relation to persons, resilience was first observed as the phenomenon that persons who are confronted with comparable stress situations react differently and do not experience the same adverse outcomes. Resilience has been described as “a dynamic process encompassing positive adaptation within the context of significant adversity”.^[1] Identifying and strengthening resilience factors is considered an important approach to limit the impact of adversity. The concept has been studied extensively in psychiatry and was gradually introduced into the debates on health, social protection and child protection.

The initial narrow understanding of resilience as an individual or personal attribute has evolved into a broader, ecological understanding recognising the interaction between internal and external factors. “Individuals take an active role in engaging with protective factors in the environment, in addition to innate assets in their personality. The effective use of protective factors and resources depends on the ability of the individual to creatively interact with and use resources. For example, resilient children are able to capitalise on their assets, such as good interpersonal skills and the ability to engage others, in order to gain social and other support.”^[2] In light of this interpretation, personal capacities and skills, as well as the availability and accessibility of meaningful protective factors and support from the family, community, society and state are essential to help children strengthen their resilience.