Resilience and Prosocial in Behaviour in Italian Schools

Resilience is a multi-componential construct in which cognitive, emotional, biological, family- related and social factors converge. It may be defined as the successful adaptation in the face of adversity and environmental stressors (Masten, 1994). High levels of resilience are essential for the social and emotional development of children, as well as for their health and ethical development, to increase their motivation and to improve their academic achievement (Elias, Zins, Weissberg, et al., 1997). Schools are the ideal place for all children to build social and emotional learning and resilience, and this is especially important in the case of vulnerable children (Goleman, 1995). The EU Council's "Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Education and Training for 2020" (European Commission, 2009) underlines the need for quality education and support for vulnerable groups since these children may be at risk of dropping out of school, absenteeism, school failure, social exclusion and mental health problems. The development of a resilience curriculum for primary education in Europe was an effort to address the difficulties experienced by marginalized children by focusing on their strengths and developing their psychological resources (Cefai et al. 2014). RESCUR Surfing the Waves is a curriculum developed in a European research collaboration within a Comenius project (2012-2015) between 6 European universities (Malta, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Portugal and Sweden). The aim of the project was to promote the academic, emotional and social learning of students at risk of early school leaving, school failure, absenteeism, social exclusion and mental health problems. The curriculum makes it possible for children to develop key competencies to overcome disadvantageous situations and obstacles by enhancing their skills and strengths (Cavioni, et al., 2015). The program was designed using an inclusive perspective and included activities for children at-risk (such as ethnic minorities or refugees), and to foster the integration of children with special educational needs and gifted children, with the aim of addressing their specific educational needs, helping them to cope with difficult situations and strengthen their psychological resources to facilitate their growth process (Zanetti et al. 2017). Furthermore, the program included the involvement of parents, who are constantly informed about the activities carried out at school, and it also included materials and activities to promote the development of resilience within in the family context. The present chapter aims to investigate the impact of the RESCUR Surfing the Waves programme on the promotion of resilience and prosocial behaviour in primary school children in Italy. A significant increase in the variables related to resilience and prosocial behaviour was expected, both in the self-assessment and according to the opinion of teachers and parents.