Reintegration of out-of-school suspended students post- COVID 19: Building Resilience

Adolescents’ responses to crises are influenced by various factors, including prior experiences with emergencies, their physical and mental health, family socioeconomic status, and cultural background. Students who face school suspension often exhibit a range of psychological and behavioural challenges, though some demonstrate resilience or the capacity to adapt and recover from adversity. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need for supportive transitions to help out-of-school suspended students navigate changes, build resilience, and foster innovation in response to adversity. To gain insight into fostering resilience in the setting of out-of-school suspended adolescents following COVID-19, I have reviewed works on contextual protective processes and systems. I used the Resilience Theory to explore the protective and adaptive processes that enable individuals, particularly adolescents, to navigate adversity and challenges. The findings reveal positive practical strategies to support resilience in out-of-school suspended students. However, these findings cannot be universally applied due to individual and cultural diversities among suspended students. While the literature reviewed shows positive impacts on resilience among out-ofschool suspended students, future studies should emphasise practical approaches that empower these students to develop resilience through strengths-based interventions.