This article is largely based upon a report by Assistant Professor Areil Kalil of the University of Chicago, who was commissioned to write the third volume of the Ministry of Social Development's Raising Children in New Zealand research series, titled "Family Resilience and Good Child Outcomes: A Review of the Literature" (2003). This series was established as a means of disseminating the results from the Ministry's Family Dynamics/Family Effectiveness work programme. Like the report, the article addresses the question of why some families manage to cope well with stress in their lives and others in similar circumstances fail to do so. It surveys the literature on resilience, with a specific focus on how the concept has been applied at the level of the family. There is a primary focus on parenting practices and the article highlights the importance of nurturance, consistent discipline and appropriate provision of autonomy in producing beneficial outcomes for children. It also examines the context in which resilience is manifested, factors that are associated with better outcomes for children, and how the concept of resilience might apply at the community level. It concludes with a review of the results of recent evaluations of a range of intervention programmes aimed at changing families' modes of functioning. Three key themes come out of the research. Firstly, early intervention is seen as the key to obtaining positive results. Secondly, different programmes are needed for different types of family environments, with programmes needing to be sensitive to families' cultural beliefs and values. Thirdly, it is important not only to build the factors that protect families, but also to reduce the ecological risks that threaten family functioning.

Social Policy Journal of New Zealand, June 2003, 20: 98-118