Here are some references on the topic you might find interesting:

• Punamäki, R. L., Qouta, S., & El-Sarraj, E. (2001). Resiliency factors predicting psychological adjustment after political violence among Palestinian children. International journal of behavioral development, 25(3), 256-267.
• Ungar, M. (2013). Resilience, trauma, context, and culture. Trauma, violence, & abuse, 14(3), 255-266.
• Feldman, R., & Vengrober, A. (2011). Posttraumatic stress disorder in infants and young children exposed to war-related trauma. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 50(7), 645-658.
• Bonanno, G. A., & Mancini, A. D. (2008). The human capacity to thrive in the face of potential trauma. Pediatrics, 121(2), 369-375.

Hi Keith and thank you for the suggestions. I will, indeed, read through these suggestions. I am still keen though for your views on the words that I asked. Your responses and those of others will be helpful for me to obtain a "lay-people" perspective as part of my investigations along with the published results you and others may suggest.

There is more primary research on the neuroscience of resilient children too, if this is of interest - such as:

Iadipaolo, A. S., Marusak, H. A., Paulisin, S. M., Sala-Hamrick, K., Crespo, L. M., Elrahal, F., ... & Rabinak, C. A. (2018). Distinct neural correlates of trait resilience within core neurocognitive networks in at-risk children and adolescents. NeuroImage: Clinical, 20, 24-34.

Chen, F., Ke, J., Qi, R., Xu, Q., Zhong, Y., Liu, T., ... & Lu, G. (2018). Increased inhibition of the amygdala by the mPFC may reflect a resilience factor in post-traumatic stress disorder: a resting-state fMRI granger causality analysis. Frontiers in psychiatry, 9, 516.

Most of the research I am aware of looks at effects (PTSD etc.) post trauma.

On the other hand a lay perspective would be that there are differences in how children process or respond to events, including to traumatic events. But what makes for these different responses is less clear. Is it inter temperament, personality, parenting (such as attachment), genetics, hormones, emotional regulation or responsiveness (e.g. unemotional traits) or a combination of factors? I think a lay perspective might pick on one or two of these factors, possibly based on personal experiences, and give them more emphasis. I think the broader range of the research is interesting and encourages one to think about or reflect on these many possibilities.

I support your comment, "Much has been written about children and young people who experience and exhibit complex and difficult behaviour". Quite a few academics, myself and colleagues included, have explored a positive psychology perspective and explored the role of personal strengths in working with children rather than a deficit focus.

See: Rawana, E., & Brownlee, K. (2009). Making the possible probable: A strength-based assessment and intervention framework for clinical work with parents, children, and adolescents. Families in Society, 90(3), 255-260.

Regards, Keith

Hi. A reference that may be of interest to you:

Trull-Oliva, C., i Soler-Masó, P. (2021). The opinion of young people who have committed violent child-to-parent crimes on factors that enhance and limit youth empowerment. Children and Youth Services Review, 120(105756), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105756