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Issue 1/2025, is based on contributions focusing on the resilience of vulnerable groups. The concept of resilience is increasingly popular in different disciplines and is a widely used term, particularly in relation to vulnerable groups.
Evaluation and analysis of social work programmes for vulnerable groups through the prism of risk and protective factors, the involvement of decision-makers in the development of resilient communities, the need for training of specialists working with vulnerable groups, organizational resilience, the resilience of people with disabilities, the resilience of substance users or the resilience of professionals in the criminal justice system are the topics addressed in this issue of the journal.
In the following we briefly present the articles included in this thematic issue.
The first article (Tomita and Ungureanu) presents an introduction to is meant by risk factors and resilience of young offenders. The concept of resilience is used for a wide range of vulnerable groups and is defined, as presented in the articles written by Runcan or Căplescu, as the capacity of a person to adapt to adversity. Also in the area of resilience in the criminal justice system is the article written by Dumitran, which presents social perspectives on the resilience of prisoners who are enrolled in university studies, as well as the article (Biriș and Feher) on the socio-cultural resilience of Roma people under probation supervision.
When we talk about vulnerable groups, be it children with disabilities (Cosiac and Onițiu), sexually exploited children (Bienvenu and Bouteyre) or young people leaving the child protection system (Hartereau, Bouteyre, Binaut) we focus on the protective factors that support the building of their resilience. Trancă and Motateanu also present the protective factors that contribute to the successful labor market integration of Roma with higher education. This is about higher education as a protective factor in building the resilience of Roma.
The challenges facing adolescent victims of war are presented in the article written by Barbuta, Cacean and Pop. In this article it is presented that in order to develop and sustain the resilience of these adolescents, family and community support is needed, as well as the development of services to ensure their access to education, health services and emotional support. It is only through access to such services that refugee adolescents can become resilient and cope with the challenges posed by the war in their country.
Regarding the coping strategies that social workers use when working with a vulnerable group, the authors Goian, Vlaicu and Motateanu mention that in order to respond to the needs of each of these groups, it is mainly necessary for professionals to adapt their communication methods. Such a method is also addressed in the article by author Caruntu, who talks about the importance of counseling and communication methods for professionals working in palliative care services.
Many older people experience challenges, hardships, poor health or various disorders, but find ways to overcome them. Old age is a developmental stage at the end of life, when a person experiences a number of significant changes in life circumstances. The article written by Doru Buzducea presents the importance of developing social services to help promote resilience in old age and reduce vulnerabilities.
We emphasize that a resilient person develops the capacity to cope with and adapt to their life circumstances following a tragic event or some degree of adversity. Even though resilience is a common trait, accessible to everyone in different proportions, it does not mean that resilient people do not suffer or grieve from adversity. They develop a better capacity to cope with difficult situations, to find solutions to the problems they face, and this can be fostered through supported resilience.
Interventions aimed at increasing resilience can take different forms, utilizing the great potential for increasing social and environmental resources through appropriate public policy interventions. The well-being of the individual must be at the center of these efforts, with quality of life being an integral component of the enjoyment of longevity. It will therefore become increasingly important to use resilience as a public health concept and tailor policy interventions to each category. Building resilience can be achieved by increasing resources, as promoting well-being in the face of adversity has significant implications for all vulnerable groups and society as a whole.
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