Coping with the COVID-19 Pandemic: Comparative Case Study of Coping and Resilience in Children From Different Educational Contexts in Colombia

Abstract

In 2020, humanity experienced one of the most complex situations in history: The COVID-19 pandemic, which caused significant social, economic, and educational consequences. Nevertheless, countries and people generally survived. Why? Resilience and the ability to cope are fundamental elements in human, community, and national survival. This study compared the situations experienced by six children from different social and educational backgrounds in Colombia during the COVID 19 pandemic using a collective analysis of cases. Interviews with children’s families, as well as observations of the participants and a narrative instrument from the BASIC Ph resiliency model (Lahad, 2016) are used to describe the context, the promoting factors of resilience, and the so-called coping “channels” of each case. Results showed that (a) the difficulties perceived by families during the pandemic were different from those perceived by the children, and (b) the predominant coping channels had an important relationship with factors that promote resilience. Finally, although it is not clear from the present study whether the children developed resilience, they exhibited factors that determine their future development.

Keywords

• resilience
• coping
• pandemic
• social educational context
• children