Hidden Resilience: The Social Construction of the Concept and its Implications for Professional Practices with At-risk Adolescents

The purpose of this paper is to present the main concepts and ideas about resilience developed by Michael Ungar. At first, it will be discussed his post-modern approach of resilience and the social construction of the phenomenon. Thereafter, it will be presented the concept of hidden resilience related to unusual coping strategies. Researches carried out with adolescents in Canada and other countries solidified the conception of resilience as an experience associated to the individual's capacity to develop resources associated to his/her well-being and the condition of the individual's family and community to provide such resources in culturally meaningful ways. It will also deal with implications for professional practices with at-risk adolescents.