by: Lori Mueller, YouthZone Executive Director
There are some challenges to using a strength based approach in youth work. It is part of some of our systems to focus on risk and probability of re-offending or relapse of drug use. However, progressive youth workers and practitioners are finding that their success rates all increase as a result of expanding their perceptions and incorporating strength based principles in all areas of programming with youth.
Areas of strengths gleaned from Positive Psychology Literature:
- Strengths of cognition: curiousity, love of learning, judgement, ingenuity,
- Strengths of emotion: awe, wonder, hope and optimism
- Strengths of will: courage, will, perseverance
- Relational and Civic strengths: kindness, responsibility, loyalty, capacity to love
- Strengths of tolerance: honesty, integrity, self-control, wisdom, spirituality, sense of purpose
