Youth Thrive is a curriculum under the statewide Kentucky Strengthening Families Initiative to improve healthy development and well-being of young people, ages nine to twenty-six. Youth Thrive is a research-based framework that utilizes a strength-based approach to teach professionals about Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs), the impact of trauma, the six Guiding Premises and five Protective Factors. The components of the Youth Thrive training will enhance the work you are already doing by helping service providers better connect with young people and support them in building Protective Factors in their own lives.

Youth Thrive encourages a shift from focusing on a young person’s deficits and risk factors to a more positive focus on the strengths and skills that are unique to that young person by making small but significant changes in their everyday actions.

WHAT ARE RISK FACTORS VERSES PROTECTIVE FACTORS?

Risk Factors refer to the stressful conditions, events or circumstances (e.g., maternal depression, substance abuse, family violence, persistent poverty) that increase a young person’s chances for poor outcomes, including child abuse and neglect.

Protective Factors are conditions or attributes of individuals, families, communities or the larger society that mitigate risk and promote healthy development and wellbeing. Put simply, they are the strengths that help to buffer and support young people at risk.

Protective Factors balance the impact of risk factors. In some cases, we cannot lessen the risk factors, but we can always build up the Protective Factors. The more Protective Factors present results in positive outcomes and well-being, less difficulty with stressful conditions and decrease chances of child abuse. Protective Factors may even counter the damaging effect of adverse experiences.

The Guiding Premises lay the foundation on how to incorporate the Protective Factors in our daily work with youth. To demonstrate how these concepts are aligned is to think of the Protective Factors as the leaves on the tree and the Guiding Premises as the roots of the tree. This visual shows the connection between the Protective Factors and Guiding Premises and helps explain how the Guiding Premises lay the foundation on how to incorporate the Protective Factors in our daily work with youth.

For example, think about how a professional who understands the Guiding Premise of Relationships, will better be able to work with youth on incorporating the Protective Factor of Social Connections into their daily lives. 

In other words, sharing opportunities for youth to meet other youth will help them develop supportive friendships and a sense of belonging especially during times of need.

Professionals who embrace these Guiding Premises with young people are more equipped to recognize and understand the importance of embedding Protective Factors within their everyday actions.

Learn more about the five Protective Factors.

Click on each leaf to find information about each Protective Factor.