This research explores the often-overlooked strengths and protective factors present in youth with FASD who have experienced involvement with the criminal legal system. Drawing on caregiver interviews from across Canada, the study shifts the lens from deficits and risk toward a more balanced understanding of young people’s capacities, character strengths, and supportive relationships. Using the VIA character strengths framework alongside ecological systems theory, the authors highlight how individual traits, family connections, and broader contextual supports can contribute to resilience and well-being. This work adds an important strengths-based perspective to a field that has traditionally focused on challenges, offering insights that can inform more holistic and supportive approaches for youth and their caregivers.
