What they do is survive and endure, and then they begin a long journey of healing. In the last 20 years psychologists and other child development experts have gone far in defining the characteristics of resilient young people. Their sense of hope. Their attraction to positive circumstance and people. What they don't know, however, is why some individuals are more resilient than others.
Some experts point to genetics.
Others to role models and mentors. Forensic psychiatrist Steven Herman of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York says what sometimes looks like resiliency is actually a counterattack on stress. It looks like fearlessness, but it is a defense. But DeFrain believes not enough credit is given to the power of the individual spirit. In his work, DeFrain interviewed 90 adults who, as children, endured and overcame all manner of traumas.