Resiliency (ability to cope with stressful situations) factors include an easy temperament or disposition, an intellectual capability that facilitates verbal communication, and a sense of self-efficacy. The latter involves a sense of self-esteem and self-confidence as well as a belief in one's ability to influence one's internal and external environment. Other factors that favor resiliency are an ability to appraise the environment realistically, social problemsolving skills, a sense of direction or mission, empathy, humor, and adaptive distancing abilities when faced with a dysfunctional environment. Gender differences were also found to be associated with resiliency. Societal sex-role expectations help girls to be more resilient in early childhood and boys to be more resilient in adolescence. The youth, both male and female, who acted in a flexible, nonstereotypical, androgynous manner were the most resilient of all. The most resilient girls came from households that encouraged risk-taking and independence. Resilient boys came from households characterized by structure and rules, as well as the encouragement of emotional responsiveness. A number of programs throughout the country are attempting to incorporate resiliency ideas into adolescent substance-abuse prevention programs. Each focuses on strength-building and empowerment rather than pathology and risk. Both need to be taken into account in program planning, but the former has been neglected for too long. 68 references