Exploring the Role of School Engagement in Predicting Resilience Among Bahamian Youth

Abstract

In the simplest terms, resilience is doing better than expected, particularly given the presence of some disadvantage that threatens positive outcomes. Like many other countries worldwide, The Bahamas has areas of poverty that provide many challenges for families raising children. Although the consequences of poverty are rampant, not all the youth who are raised in these conditions succumb to these effects. This study sought to identify the internal and external factors that are predictive of resilience in a sample of 103 urban Bahamian students. Ninth- and 11th-grade students from two local public schools completed surveys. Of special interest to this study was the relationship between school engagement and resilience. Although school engagement was significantly positively related to resilience, it was overshadowed by other factors when included in the resilience regression model. Relationships with parents and nonparental adults, involvement in meaningful activity, and self-efficacy were significant predictors of resilience in this sample of urban Bahamian students.