Pathways to Resilience III: Beyond Nature vs. Nurture

Law & Restorative Justice:

Abstract #136
Restorative Justice Following Severe Violence: Affects on Posttraumatic Growth 
Presenter: Sue Klassen
Abstract:
Balancing the well-established field of research on posttraumatic stress and PTSD, which documents the negative sequelae following trauma, posttraumatic growth (PTG) is a growing field that examines the ways some people blossom beyond their pre-trauma baseline through wrestling with trauma.  Some researchers consider PTG a special type of resilience—resilience that transforms—while others say future resilience to traumas may emerge from PTG.  Promising research has shown how a restorative justice process—in which a victim voluntarily meets with the offender following a crime—can reduce victims’ posttraumatic stress and PTSD symptoms.  But what about PTG?  This study of ten victims of crimes of severe violence, who participated in a face-to-face restorative encounter, starts to address this gap.  Themes and quotes from in-depth interviews, combined with measures of PTG using the PTGI-SF scale, will allow these victims/survivors to tell in their own words the role a restorative encounter played in their PTG.  This study will be coupled with an overview of the literature to date, bringing new insights to this growing field.

Abstract #138
Giving Youth in Custody A Voice for Change
Presenter: Susan Reid Co - Presenter: Sarah Gilliss
Abstract:
Youth Matters, a youth led organization sponsored by St. Thomas University has created a chapter within the provincial closed custody facility for young offenders in New Brunswick.  This presentation will focus on the development of this group and the progress that has been made with young people who meet weekly to discuss issues, explore opportunities in a facilitated group that is run by a group of young leaders inside the institution.  The young people have created a video on institutional bullying and have been exploring issues related to violence against women.  This presentation will provide an overview of the adult-youth partnerships that have facilitated the creation and ongoing work with this group of at risk youth.

Abstract #146
Resilience and Vulnerability for Adolescents in Conflict With the Law
Presenter: Alex Pessoa
Abstract:
The research and theoretical frameworks on resilience are mostly coming from the Northern Hemisphere. My proposal is to argue that these studies ignore the particularities of Latin American countries and neglect model of social inequality as the main element for the exposition of young adolescent to indicators of psychosocial risk. I advocate the establishment of collaborative networks in order to create interventional practices and research methodologies that highlight these aspects. In this sense, I believe it is relevant to build a theoretical model to challenge hegemonic notions of resilience that has no applicability in Latin America and do not collaborate in disruption of oppressive social structures historically built under a model which prevails inequality and disenfranchisement of some segments. The universities and researchers interested on resilience theory must join forces to design a consistent epistemological frameworks for the groups belonging to this reality. Furthermore, I understand that the policies and interventional programs should target practices that allow emancipation and the breaking of cycles that perpetuate vulnerability across generations. The audience contributions may allow the beginning of the articulation around this reflective process and may bring implications for the field.