Perceptions of Resilience to Social Environmental Risk Factors

Youth in Lesotho and throughout the world grow up surrounded by social environmental risk factors, as defined by Christle et al. (1999: 1) that make them susceptible to negative behaviours. However, some resilient young people are not affected by these risk factors; instead, they succeed in school and in life in general.This research aimed to explore and describe perceptions of resilience to environmental risk factors among youth in Lesotho. A qualitative approach, following an exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design, was employed, and purposive sampling was used to select resilient Form B/Grade 9 learners at Hlotse High School in Leribe, Lesotho, who participated in focus-group interviews. These learners were requested to nominate significant people in their lives (such as family members, teachers, friends and community members) who played a role in their resilience. A semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data from participants. The interviews were tape-recorded, and field notes were taken in order to document the data collected as well as record the researcher s own perceptions and observations.

Autorentext

Teboho Ntlhakana, Masters in Clinical Social Work at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Port Elizabeth South Africa.Worked as a Probation Officer with the Ministry of Justice from 1997 to 2010. Currently working as Chief Gender Officer with the Ministry of Gender in Lesotho, responsible for care and support of Gender Based Violence survivors