Michele Poletto

Contextos ecológicos: promotores de resiliência, fatores de risco e de proteção

This study presents a consolidation of aspects of protection and risk in human development, in several ecological contexts, such as the family, the institution and the school, taken from literature, and relates them to the furtherance of resilience. It also defines the concepts of the resilience process, protective and risk factors and offers considerations about children in risk situations. Urie Bronfenbrenners bioecological human development theory was used as a theoretical-methodological basis to analyze these contexts and factors of risk and/or protection. This theory addresses the study of development by integrating the understanding of the aspects of peoples lives, whether it be the period in which they live, the environments in which they participate or the relationships that are established. Irrespective of the context (family, institution or school), a variety of influences and life events may be classified as risk or as protection. However, this will depend on the quality and existence of emotional and social relationships, of the presence of affection and reciprocity that such environments provide.

Revisando a inserção ecológica: uma proposta de sistematização

This article describes how the four key concepts of the Bioecological Theory of Human Development (process, person, context and time) are present in the Ecological Engagement methodology. The goal is to provide some lines of action that may guide research teams to use this proposal in their projects. A brief comparison is performed between the Ecological Engagement and other methodologies, which value the concept of investigation and have distinct theoretical references. Moreover, other studies that used the Ecological Engagement are presented and discussed in order to establish some common points and to define aspects that may be considered as fundamental characteristics of this methodological proposal.

Eventos estressores em crianças e adolescentes em situação de vulnerabilidade social de Porto Alegre

This paper investigated the occurrence and impact of stressing events for 297 low- income children/adolescents (both sexes; 7-16 years, M =11.22; SD = 2.13) in the city of Porto Alegre. Group 1 (G1) consisted of 142 participants (living with their families) and Group 2 (G2) of 155 institutionalized individuals. All were individually interviewed and answered the Stressing Events Inventory for Children/Adolescents. The most frequent stressing events for the sample were: follow orders given by the parents (85.2%); quarrels with friends (72.9%); death of relatives (71.8%); failure at school (69.2%); and rivalry of siblings (68%). Students t-test revealed significant difference between groups (p <0,001) regarding the occurrence of stressing events, G2 presented higher scores (M = 26.79; SD = 8.67) than G1 (M = 19.16; SD = 9.37). The events that caused the greatest impact upon the studied group were: death of parents and friends, rape, rejection by relatives and violence. There was no significant difference between sexes (p>0.05). The high frequency and strong impact of stressing events reveal the situation of social and familiar vulnerability, presence of violence and lack of resources in the whole group.

Subjective well-being in socially vulnerable children and adolescents

O afeto positivo e negativo e a satisfacao de vida tem sido concebidos como componentes do bem-estar subjetivo. O presente estudo visou a investigar o bem-estar subjetivo em criancas e adolescentes que frequentavam a escola e viviam com a familia em comparacao com aqueles que viviam em instituicoes de acolhimento. Participaram do estudo 297 criancas e adolescentes em situacao de vulnerabilidade, com idades entre sete e 16 anos (M= 11,22 anos; DP= 2,13), 155 eram do sexo masculino (52,2%) e 142 do sexo feminino (47,8%). Os instrumentos utilizados foram uma entrevista estruturada, as escalas de afeto positivo e negativo e multidimensional de satisfacao de vida. Os resultados confirmaram que em relacao aos contextos de desenvolvimento, as criancas institucionalizadas experienciam mais afeto negativo. No entanto, as criancas institucionalizadas nao se diferenciaram das criancas que vivem com a familia em relacao ao nivel de satisfacao de vida e de afeto positivo.

Aprendiz versus trabalhador: adolescentes em processo de aprendizagem

This study aimed to know the experience of adolescents in labor insertion process. The participants were 10 adolescents of both sexes, aged 15 and 16 years old, with an apprenticeship contract at a public enterprise. It was used a qualitative approach, with the application of a biosociodemographic questionnaire and focal groups. Four thematic categories were created: being adolescent, apprentice versus worker, meaning of work and professional future. The results revealed fusion between the worker and apprentice roles. The experience of apprenticeship was perceived as a privileged practice for professional training. Expectancies about the professional future revealed insecurity and lack of information related to labor market. This study showed the importance of the experience of apprenticeship to build worker identities and of counseling programs for adolescents.