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Be you a superhero:
Paths for creating a psycho-pedagogical

intervention to promote resilience in school
environments

Sé un superhéroe

Vías para crear una intervención psicopedagógica que promueva la
resiliencia en entornos escolares

Gelson Vanderlei Weschenfelder
Instituto Federal de Rio Grande do Sul

gellfilo@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6571-8027

Alexandre Guilherme
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS).

alexandre.guilherme@pucrs.br
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4578-1894




Resumen: Abstract:

Desde la aparición de los cómics, las historias
con superhéroes se han centrado en el
espíritu comunitario, la confianza mutua, la
fuerza, el coraje y la resiliencia, temas
inspiradores para los campos de la
Educación. Sin embargo, poco se sabe sobre
la etapa denominada pre-cubierta/pre-
máscara de la vida de los superhéroes. Esta
etapa indica que la mayoría de los personajes
de ficción han experimentado situaciones de
riesgo antes de la etapa de empoderamiento.
Este estudio examinó las relaciones entre las
adversidades de la vida real de los niños
desfavorecidos psicosocialmente y las
adversidades de la vida ficticia de los
personajes de superhéroes, en sus fases Pre-
cubierta/pre-máscara. Este recurso aún
inexplorado presenta potencial para ser

Since the emergence of comic books, storylines
with superheroes have focused on community
spirit, mutual trust, strength, courage, and
resilience, inspiring themes for the fields of
Education. However, little is known about the
stage entitled pre-cover/pre-mask of the
superheroes' lives. This stage indicates that
most fictional characters have experienced risky
situations prior to the empowerment stage. This
study examined relationships between real-life
adversities of psychosocially disadvantaged
children and the adversities of the fictional lives
of superhero characters, in their Pre-Cover/Pre-
Mask phases. This still unexplored resource
presents potential to be developed in
psychoeducational interventions and to
subsidize public policies for the promotion of
resilience and empowerment in this population.

Recibido: 24/01/2024 | Revisado: 29/01/2024 | Aceptado: 20/05/2025 |
Online First: 09/06/2025 | Publicado: 30/06/2025

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desarrollado en intervenciones
psicoeducativas y para subsidiar políticas
públicas de promoción de resiliencia y
empoderamiento en esta población. Los
hallazgos apoyan el potencial para el
desarrollo de programas de intervención
psicoeducativa con temas de superhéroes en
ambientes educativos.

The findings support the potential for the
development of psychoeducational intervention
programs with superhero themes in educational
settings.

Palabras clave: resiliencia, empoderamiento,
cómics, superhéroes y programa de
intervención.

Keywords: resilience, empowerment, comics,
superheroes, and intervention program.

Introduction

According to the World Health Organization (Who, 2002), violence is a public
health problem, since more than 1.5 million people around the world die each year
victims of some form of aggression, personal, social or structural. In Brazil, according
to Unicef (2012) adolescents are the age group most exposed to violence and
residents of less socially privileged communities are the most vulnerable to the actions
of criminal groups, repression by security forces, and the absence of efficient public
policies to support and protect populations living on the sidelines like a boat adrift. In
this scenario, it is important to understand how to intervene before the effects of
adversities on groups that suffer from the disregard for social inequalities. Brazil is
living through times that make many people think: 'Only a superhero can save us from
such difficult situations!!!!'. But most people are unaware that the super-empowered
character has already been through many misfortunes and that suffering has not
discouraged him. In the wake of these reflections, this chapter aims to: Present
superheroes as resources for promoting resilience in educational settings; Present the
novelty of thinking about the pre-empowerment phase in the life of superheroes;
Demonstrate that there are few interventions that use superheroes in their potential as
a pedagogical resource and promoter of resilience, even less in the pre-empowerment
or pre-empowerment phase; Present a positive intervention developed in a public
school in southern Brazil that used the pre-empowerment phase as a guide for actions
with results.

Positive Interventions in Education

There is a consensus on the responsibility of the school environment as an
important promoter of the full development of children and adolescents alongside the
family. However, it is in this same school context that numerous and frequent
manifestations of aggressive behavior, conflicts, and expressions of intolerance are
recorded (Abramovay, 2002; Portela; Dalbosco, 2016). The characteristics of these
violences involve from bullying (Fernandes, 2016; Fernandes, at al, 2017), physical
and verbal aggression among peers or against educators, depredations in the physical

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structure of places, drug use, carrying weapons, prejudice and discrimination, among
others (Portella & Dalbosco, 2016).

It is undeniable the implication of the risks caused by these situations on the
social health of young people and, above all, on the psychological constitution of these
adolescents in development, such as: damage to social relationships; quality of life;
impacts on emotional development; depression; post-traumatic disorders, among
others (Portella & Dalbosco, 2016). Given this reality, one could affirm the need for
much planning and implementation of protective interventions or "positive
psychoeducational interventions". The goal to be sought by these interventions follows
the principles of Positive Psychology and move towards provoking reflections that
guide these young people to seek happiness and alleviate the symptoms of their
experiences of suffering and pain (Seligman et al, 2005). Moreover, these are actions
that aim to promote resilience with transformations of the self and their social
environment (Yunes, 2015) and consequent personal and social empowerment.
According to Yunes, Silveira, Juliano, Pietro, and Garcia (2013), designing and
carrying out a positive intervention proposes to act preventively, that is, at the stage
when individuals, groups, and communities are still healthy and productive. Such
interventions only become possible if their conductors start from a more optimistic view
of human beings. This is a big challenge in today's media-driven world that survives
on the "consumption" of headlines and reports that sell the evil and wicked side of
some (un)human beings (Weschenfelder at al, 2018). As such, it makes perfect sense
to create positive interventions in formal educational settings to generate actions
aimed at promoting transformative learning and generating resilience from inspiring
examples and good-treatment interactions (Weschenfelder at al, submitted).

It's neither a bird nor a plane: It's superheroes hovering in classrooms

The vast majority of people restrict superhero comic books (comics) to the
entertainment of the general public, especially children and teenagers. Over the years,
superheroes have transcended the comic book pages and found their way into movies,
TV series and animation, games, literature, among others. According to William Irwin
(2005), these characters are not as innocent as they seem, because they bring more
than entertainment to the reader. Such stories, presented in their plots, introduce and
address in a vivid way some issues of paramount importance faced in the daily lives
of "ordinary" people. These are issues related to overcoming adversity, building
personal identity, elements of ethics, morality, justice, facing fears, situations of
violence, among others (Weschenfelder, 2011).

Few early childhood education professionals believe that superhero characters
can be used as a pedagogical resource for motivation and inspiration in children's
development. In addressing this topic in a recent article, researchers on the subject,
Fradkin, Weschenfelder, and Yunes (2017) highlighted the work of Harris (2016).
These authors highlighted the effectiveness of one of the strategies used by the
American educator in her work in the classroom context, which is to enable children
to wear costumes of the superadventures characters. With this simple movement of
the children's symbolic world, some children have revealed feeling especially

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empowered, secure, confident, and with the courage and hopeful outlook of a
superhero (Harris, 2016). Harris' work further suggests that school work with the
feelings of compassion and caring concern underscored in various superhero stories,
may be tools for educational professionals to use to predict and contain bullying
initiatives. This is in line with Weschenfelder's (2014) arguments that superheroes
model values of ethics and moral education. In this sense, superheroic characters
have potential as educational resources and can make themselves present in
classrooms (Weschenfelder, 2014) and in therapeutic settings.

But to what extent can the superhero character help in the pre-empowerment
phase, prior to their superpowers, without capes and masks that hide their real
identities? The superhero in the "Pre-Cloak /Pre-Mask"1 phase is very much alive and
shares his stories with many at-risk children. In an indexing of the adversities
experienced by superheroes, a study (Fradkin et al, 2016) observed that the vast
majority of superhero characters have experienced or are experiencing some
adversity, such as: orphanhood; abandonment; murdered family member; bullying;
economic limitations; sexual abuse and violence among others. These stories of
adversity in the Pre- Cloak /Pre-Mask phase of superheroes have the potential to
promote the empowerment of children and youth from vulnerable groups (Fradkin et
al, 2016). These groups can be easily identified in classrooms around the world,
something that should be preventatively realized.

Superheroic characters are already present in the imagination of children and
teenagers and are included in an interventional elaboration, having a great power of
ludic identification and helping to find paths with a taste of empowerment. However, it
should be noted that in a classroom setting, there is a fine line between being inspired
by superheroes and having an educational professional as a tutor to promote an
intervention using superheroes. Harris (2016) believes that superheroes can be a
source of positive motivation and inspiration for children and adolescents. Therefore,
in the classroom, superhero use has immense value for reasons stated by the author,
which are: socialization, reciprocity, promoting resilience, community building, and
child empowerment (Weschenfelder, 2017). In this sense, taking inspiration from
superheroes can also be seen as a reCloaky program, in contrast, the proposed use
of the comic book superhero figure among vulnerable populations of children and
adolescents (Fradkin et al, 2016) would more accurately be described as
rehabilitation.

Interventions with superheroes in educational and clinical settings

An exploratory study (Weschenfelder, 2017) conducted a mapping of
interventions that use comic book superheroes as a source of inspiration for their
actions. From the information collected nationally and internationally, the interventions
were detailed and analyzed from their thematic content, periodicity, and the crucial

1 The term "Pre-Coat/Pre-Mask" refers to such a period in the life of the fictional superhero character, before
he puts on his uniform. This means that, like all individuals in real life, superheroes present difficult
developmental moments in their fictional lives, during which they do not (yet) perform heroic roles (Fradkin,
Weschenfelder, Yunes, 2016; Weschenfelder, et al, 2017).

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element for the elaboration of the reflections of this text: the empowerment phase used
in the planning and execution of the interventions. Thus, a total of ten (10) interventions
based in different locations were listed: African, American and European Continent.
Initially 118 interventions that use comics and superheroes as the theme of their
actions in Brazil and other countries were mapped. The first characteristic identified
as an element of distinction between the actions was the periodicity or the (ir)regularity
of the time interval of the activities carried out. To elucidate the understanding of the
survey, the following time categories were defined: a) permanent interventions - those
that have a continuous flow with demonstrations of constancy in their actions; b)
sporadic interventions - those that occur in determined and predictable time intervals,
for example, every six months, every year etc.; c) occasional interventions - those that
occur in a single event or situation and/or may occur again without any forecast.

The vast majority of the mapped interventions, about 92.31%, occur on an
occasional basis, and of these, 72% occurred only once. As such, these were not part
of the mapping. Another issue made explicit by the mapping data is that most of the
interventions are linked to the Health area. Few focus their efforts in the field of
Education. However, for the purposes of this text, another important dimension to be
observed is the phase of life of the superheroes used to guide the interventions.
Another fact is that the focus of these interventions remains on the already empowered
phase of the characters, when they have overcome or are in a stage of overcoming
their adversities. This observation is clearly seen in the mapping that there is no
mention or highlight for the superhero in the pre-power stage (Pre-Cape/Pre-Mask).

The journey of the super-adventure: the paths taken for the creation of the
intervention
The urgency of creating psycho-educational interventions is striking, as well as
the strong need to positively promote such actions with proposals to promote
empowerment and resilience in children and adolescents. Therefore, the studies
conducted2 so far have led us to a proposal aimed at the development of a positive
intervention and resilience promoter in educational settings, having in evidence, the
Pre-Cloak/Pre-Mask phase of the superheroes as a guiding element.
The development of the positive psycho-educational intervention followed
some steps presented by the following steps: Pilot of a positive intervention using the
Pre-Cloak/Pre-Mask phase of superheroes, in two public schools in a large city of Rio
Grande do Sul, with the workshop entitled 'Roteiro de Vida', to investigate the
understanding of participants about the pre-empowerment phase of comic book
superheroes (Weschenfelder, 2016); Development and application of the intervention
itself in an educational environment entitled: "Intervention Program - Be the Superhero
of your own life", with pre-test phases in the first meetings and post-test after the last
meeting. These instruments used in these stages aimed to indicate the effectiveness
of the intervention procedures.

2 Mapping adversities experienced by superheroes in parallel with real life and mapping interventions that use
the superheroic characters.

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Pilot Project: Creating Life Scripts focusing on the pre-superhero phase
As an experiment demonstrating the applicability of superheroes in the pre-
superheroic phase, a pilot intervention was carried out in the classroom space. The
experience sought to work with the self-esteem of Youth and Adult Education (YAE)
students, generally at risk because of the relationship between age and schooling. It
is known that with this public, there is a need for positive practices to encourage and
motivate them to pursue successful goals. With these ideas in mind, an intervention
with superheroes was carried out, in which the Pre-Cloak/Pre-Mask phase of the
characters was the focus. The actions were organized so that after the presentation
of the adversities experienced by the superheroes, the students were asked to write a
script for the creation of a comic book. The story should contain social adversities,
contain a turning point (Rutter, 1987), and end with a life transformation or a quest for
these turning points and transformations.

During the intervention, students were instructed that the story could be their
life story if they felt comfortable doing so (Weschenfelder, 2016). The exercise of this
intervention resulted in the participants expressing that they became aware that in
their lives there were turning points and positive transformations or the possibility of
such. The reports evidenced that the participants felt good and said they were
strengthened by seeing their stories of pain and struggle transformed into sequential
(comics) art. Their stories were later drawn by a guest comic artist who volunteered to
collaborate with the proposal.

Intervention Program "Be the Superhero of your own life
As seen previously, few interventions with the use of the image of superheroes
are made in the educational field. The need to create an intervention program with this
theme in the field of education is, therefore, a contemporary phenomenon, because it
is a fact the interest of children and teenagers to have the stories of these superhero
characters as a form of entertainment. It is also proven by scientific studies that these
characters go beyond entertainment, they encourage the reading habit and
significantly increase student performance (Weschenfelder, 2011). Through their plots
they help readers adjust their personalities to the time and the world and fill the
children's mind's need for stories and adventure (Carvalho, 2006), they are models of
ethics (Weschenfelder, 2011; Weschenfelder, 2014) of a value system that works for
human life (Campbell, 2012) and are the best current representation of what we can
all become (Morrison, 2012).

Methodology

The proposal of this Intervention followed the systematization of an education
and family and parental support program that follows the experiential model (Martín et
al, 2009) for conducting the activities that were systematized. Thus, to be consistent
with the experiential model and methodology, this Intervention was not designed to
bring established theories or information to those involved, but rather to provoke and

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develop reflections based on the fictional stories of risk and adversity of superheroes
in the Pre-Cloak/Pre-Mask phase. The ludic character in the proposed activities
(mainly in the idea that the Intervention participants would create characters) in the
experiential model potentiated participation, because the experiential methodology
enables a dialogue starting from the day to day of each person, from their pre-
knowledge, from their beliefs, and from situations lived in their own context. Therefore,
the experiential model can produce new knowledge and transformation (Martín et al,
2009) of themselves and their contexts, which can be a framework for positive and
healthy development (Bronfenbrenner, 2005).

An important concept from the perspective of healthy development is the
concept of resilience and the promotion of it through the use of the image of
superheroes in their pre-cape phase (Fradkin et al, 2017). This dimension makes it
possible to consider that the superhero character can become a model or "tutor" of
resilience (Cyrulnik, 2009) taking into account their transformations and acquisition of
skills to overcome their adversities, transcending them. There is a monumental
moment, scientifically explained by the "turning point" defined by Rutter (1987), that
for comic book superheroes and for the at-risk child or adolescent leads to positive
development.

The participants were students from a municipal public elementary school. A
socio-demographic questionnaire presented the profile of the participants who started
the proposal: they were between 12 and 15 years old; most of them were male
(71.43%); 42.86% considered themselves white; 28.57% brown, 14.29% black, and
14.29% indigenous. Regarding the level of education, 44% of the students are in 7th
grade, 44% are in 9th grade, and 11% are in 8th grade. The great majority (71%)
answered that they live in their own house, and 29% live in houses that were lent by
someone. In reference to how many people live in their house that work, 29%
answered none, 29% two, 14% three, and 14% four. 14% of the participants reported
that they participate in the Bolsa Família program, and 43% answered that they do not
participate in any social program, and 43% did not know or did not want to answer this
question.

The Intervention Program: instruments and activities of each module

In general, the data were collected from: a) observations made during the
meetings; b) answers to the 4 (four) instruments in the pre-test phase; c) transcribed
audio record of the evaluation chat at the end of the Intervention; d) analysis of written
and drawn works done during the meetings; e) answers to the questionnaires about
the participants' satisfaction with the intervention proposal.

The intervention was carried out in 8 (eight) meetings, each with 2 (two) to 4
(four) activities per meeting. Each meeting lasted approximately 2 hours. The following
will present the analysis and discussion of the meetings and activities themselves.

1st meeting: It was planned to present the lives of the superheroic characters
and their adversities lived before their masks and capes, that is, in the Pre-Cap/Pre-
Mask phase (Fradkin et al, 2016).

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The reaction of the students involved was at first very attentive and
concentrated. They showed themselves to be participating listeners of the narratives
and expressed interest in the theme. Regarding the experiences of adversity of
superheroes, everyone showed surprise, as most expressed and opined that they did
not imagine and had never even thought that superheroes suffered in their lives. It can
be interpreted that superpowers did not align with problems and adversity in the
participants' imagination. This idea was unanimous and denotes the dichotomy of the
image of powers as dissociated from suffering and negative emotions. Therefore, it
can be seen that the goal of sensitizing participants to the pre-superhero phase and
turning their attention to their possibilities for resilience was achieved.

2nd meeting: Two questionnaires were applied: one sociodemographic and one
about Bullying. After answering these questionnaires, a conversation circle was held,
and the participants were free to bring fictional stories from the comics in which social
adversities were observed from their perspective.

With regard to the participants' experience with bullying, it was found that more
than 50% of the participants had already suffered from this manifestation. 29% of the
participants had suffered from bullying several times a week, 14% between 1 and 2
times, and 14% between 3 and 6 times. The vast majority revealed that they have
suffered bullying at school (75%) and answered that the act is committed by two or
three classmates.

Regarding their feelings about the act they suffered, 100% said they were not
bothered. The great majority (75%) affirmed that no schoolmate tried to prevent the
participant from being bullied at school. Still 25% said they felt bad seeing their
schoolmates being bullied, 25% felt sorry for the victim, 25% said they were not
bothered, and 25% were afraid this could happen to them.

When asked if they had ever helped or committed bullying against other
students, 71% answered that they had never helped bully other students, 29%
answered that it was only once or twice, and of these they reported that they usually
did it alone. Of those who did commit bullying, 50% reported that they hit and pushed,
and 50% made fun of nicknames, badmouthing, and teasing. They also report that
they thought it was funny (the practice).

After answering the questionnaires, a conversation was held to see if they
observed/remembered the discussion from the first meeting about adversities or risky
situation in the fictional life of superheroes from comic books or the adaptations to film
or TV series. Half of the participants were able to report some adversities that were
discussed at the very beginning of the meeting. As the conversation unfolded, the vast
majority demonstrated consensus and understanding in their recollections of some
situations that occur in the lives of the characters they know. Those who made their
memories explicit talked about the character Batman, who had his parents murdered
and the difficulties of going through life and dealing with daily life without the presence
of these caregivers.

3rd meeting: This meeting had as its objective the creation of a superhero
character that could be a "good" superhero or a villain. This creation was done in
written form, bringing in the plots what led the characters to choose such paths

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(heroism or villainy). The life stories of the characters created were to be exposed.
Furthermore, they were asked to describe situations of risk and adversity suffered by
these characters, if any.

In this same meeting, the participants were asked to list three situations of risk
and adversity experienced by themselves. It was noticed the need to reinforce the
clarification of risk and adversity situations to make the list. After this step, they were
asked to describe "how the superhero created by them could solve the issues listed".
They investigated what actions this character could perform and what they themselves
could do in their lives, based on the action imagined by the fictional character they
created.

At the end of the meeting the students exposed their characters, bringing their
lived stories and the reasons that led them to choose different paths. They related
reasons why one becomes a superhero and another a villain. The following were
described as situations of risk and social adversity in the story created of the heroic or
villainous characters Family rejection; Alcoholic father; Loss of a family member;
Bullying. Other situations such as: Mother with depression problems; Not being
popular at school; Drug use (licit and illicit); Seeing oneself close to death; Fights
between parents and family members; Prejudice (because of weight and color);
Persecution by criminals; Brain disease was also mentioned. When asked individually
if any created character, hero or villain, was inspired by their own life stories, they all
unanimously affirmed that they did not use themselves as a source of inspiration. But
in the comparison and analysis of the listing of situations of risk and adversity
experienced by them, in comparison with those experienced by the heroic characters,
one notices indications of familiarity. One participant practically used her entire list of
risks to build the story of the heroine she created, which leads us to verify the
possibility of projection of herself into the imagined character.

About the reason for choosing the situations of risk and adversity experienced
by both the hero and the villain, the vast majority reported that these situations are
common and are experienced or witnessed by them all the time. Both the superhero
built and the villain, both were victims of some aggression listed by them. They
recognize that the heroic character manages to rise from his fall, while the villain
experiences his suffering and uses that pain, to justify his means. It was notable that
for the heroic character to "rise up" and survive, most participants placed the support
of a third party, an individual (such as a guardian) or institution (such as a memory or
experience at school), and that the villainy character did not have this experience, and
therefore this made a difference in the development of social or antisocial behaviors.
For Cyrulnik (2009), tutors provide an affective structure, resuming the re-socialization
process. According to the author's ideas, it can be inferred that in the interaction with
the tutor, the psychic dynamism that is the basis of the resilient process transforms
the very wound of the sufferer into a new organizer of the Self. Many of the comic book
superheroes have had such guardians (e.g. Spider-Man, Uncle Ben; Batman, the
butler Alfred). And in addition to having such a tutor, as in the created stories presented
above, the heroic character, after empowerment, becomes the tutor of those who are
inspired by them and their examples of overcoming and transformation.

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They were also asked, in individual conversation, what lessons this character
created by them (Hero and/or Villain) could give them. Identified each participant as
"P" and a number, we have the following lines that express the power of inspiration
and identification with this universe of empowerment with elements of maturity and
reflection indicators: P1 - "it helps me to understand that nothing is perfect, nothing is
easy, but we have to deal with it and stand firm and strong"; P2- "maturation and the
change in the hero's behavior will certainly help me to reflect on my evolution as a
person and to mature; think about the wrong things we have in common and try to act
the same way or almost the same way as him"; P3- "My superhero helps me to
overcome my pains and traumas, and that can help me, and so I help other people,
who also went through this moment; and that it helps me to mature and forget it (pains
and traumas)".

4th meeting: In this meeting, the definitions of the words heroes and
superheroes were presented and stories of heroes from our history were referred to
with demonstrations about their struggles and what they stood for (such as Martin
Luther King, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, among others). After this activity, they were
asked if there is any person in their community who could be called a hero or heroine.
There was a dialogue about what they do.

In this activity, some situations of collective adversity (hunger, civil wars, racial
segregation, climate disasters, etc.) were raised. Then they were asked what a
superhero would do in these situations. Using the same collective adversities, they
were asked again, what a hero (without superpower) could do.

The vast majority had no knowledge of the historical heroes presented (Martin
Luther King, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, among others) and expressed surprise at their
altruism. They told how people who did what they did could have existed, others
related fictional characters to the real ones presented. Thus, there were comparisons
between fictional beings with superpowers saving lives and these real heroes of our
history transforming and also saving lives.

They were asked if there are people in their community who could be called
heroes/heroines. After a brief reflection, some began to question whether certain tasks
performed can be considered heroic, such as: people who help defend animals, social
causes, and activities related to fighting hunger. The participants mentioned names of
people in the community where they live who carry out the above mentioned tasks;
100% of the members also mentioned names of some teachers in their school and
their actions beyond the classroom. When asked why these names were mentioned,
they reported that: "This one looks out for us"; "She goes beyond the classroom, she
talks and gives me tips on how to behave on the street"; "She is caring and worries
about me". It is interesting to note that the participants' conceptions of heroism are not
limited to super powers, but refer to actions, attitudes, and relationships with others.
This is a perspective on the relational quality of a hero, of care and good treatment
(Barudy & Dartagnan, 2007).

5th meeting: In this stage, the leader presented to the group how the process
of creating a comic book takes place. It was mentioned that several hands are involved
and mutual help is essential for the development of the material: the scriptwriter who

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creates the story and visualizes how it will be presented; the artist who will draw the
pictures; the colorist who colors the pictures. There are also, in some cases, the final
artworkers, who give the final touches to the drawings. A professional may also be
requested to make the speech balloons.

After this more technical and explanatory presentation, the group was divided
into those who would be in charge of the script and the creation of the story, and those
who would draw the story in comic format. Each group should have one designer and
one or two scriptwriters. After this division of groups, it was explained that the task of
building the comic strip should contain: 1 - The beginning of the hero's journey (with
the following stages: experiencing one or more adversities; a turning point; how he
became a hero); 2 - The character should also be a moral example and a source of
inspiration for his readers.

The idea was to show that creating a comic book is a team process. After the
groups were divided, it was decided who would take what responsibility. However, the
creation of a new hero was to be debated among everyone and, after the discussion,
the person responsible for the script would create the story.

6th meeting: In this meeting the Adverse Childhood Events (ACE) questionnaire
was applied in the first phase of the session. In the second phase, the previous week's
task of creating a group comic book was continued.

The analysis of the results of the answers to the questionnaire about traumas
and undesirable experiences shows that half of the participants live with a family
member who uses drugs, both illicit and licit. 17% of the participants lost their biological
father/mother or step-father/ step-mother due to divorce, abandonment, or other
reasons. Still, 17% of those involved in the program, answered that in their homes
there is often domestic violence between their parents and/or guardians, and that
sometimes they have been threatened with some kind of weapon, and another 17%
did not know how to answer or did not want to answer this question.

When asked if a member of their family who lives with them has often
threatened, insulted, or humiliated them, and provoked fear of physical aggression,
17% said yes and 24% did not answer this question. 59% answered negatively to this
question. Regarding whether there is often some kind of physical violence inside their
homes, the numbers were the same. Almost 60% answered that they do not suffer
violence. Also 17% answered that there is a member of their family with depression
problems or mentally ill, and in some cases with suicide attempts. There were also
reports (17%) that a family member is in prison for having committed some type of
crime.

7th meeting: Presentation of the final results of their comics. Suggestions were
given and doubts were clarified for the forwarding and finalization of the project
(Comics).

A brief analysis of the comics drawn by the participants shows that the character
created by them, presented adversities and risky situations before their empowerment
(Pre-Cloak/Pre-Mask - Weschenfelder et al, 2018) which evidences the understanding
of the relationship between moments of fragility with subsequent empowerment. The
moment of trials was elaborated, as in the hero's journey (Campbell, 2007) with the

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turning point for a heroic life. When asked about what this created hero symbolized for
them, they said: "To be able to be someone better"; "To act like the hero in the most
difficult moments (use wisdom)". "To be able to think more about different daily issues,
difficulties, and the importance of following a correct life"; "It helped me to care more
about my commitments"; "To get along with people"; "To interact more with other
people to discuss other subjects". As these statements suggest, the created hero is a
reflective, wise, responsible being, who knows how to live and deal with people. The
virtues and strengths of the hero are valued by Positive Psychology scholars and show
that positive interventions are those that promote affirmative actions of these socially
fundamental values at this moment in the evolution of humanity. The fascination that
these characters exert, figuring as heroic examples, where these address, in an
exemplary way, the way to face and solve issues refers them to virtuous actions to
become ethical models (Weschenfelder, 2011).

8th meeting: Application of the questionnaire 'Be the Superhero of your own
Life - Evaluation and satisfaction and effectiveness of the program'. Each group
presented their comic strip to all the participants, highlighting the reasons that led them
to create the plot of the stories. After this phase, the delivery of the comic was held.

Each group presented their hero and their dilemmas before and after
empowerment (of becoming a hero). The two groups were asked to relate their
difficulties in developing the story. They reiterated that in the beginning, working as a
group was difficult. To create the character, there was no agreement and each one
wanted to bring different characteristics. But with the support of the leader this aspect
was solved. An interesting element was related to the number of adversities
experienced by the hero. Some wanted to put more risky situations and, when asked
why, they answered that they thought there are many risky situations experienced or
witnessed every day. Just like the comic book superheroes who suffered from
numerous tragic events at the beginning of their journey, the character created by
them should also highlight these adversities with vehemence. It is worth mentioning
that each group listed up to three risky situations in the creation of their characters.
The most frequently mentioned were in order of frequency: Bullying, Bullying
perpetrator, Loss of loved ones/family members, Living in the midst of organized
crime, and Illness.

In this last meeting of the program, an evaluative questionnaire on satisfaction
and effectiveness of the program was also presented to the participants. All
participants stated that they felt accepted by everyone in the program group. But when
asked if they felt well supported by the group, half answered sometimes. But the vast
majority (83%) answered that they made new friendships at the meetings, that the
participants helped each other, and that they would like the program meetings to
continue. Also, 83% answered that the subjects discussed in the meetings were very
important for their growth as a person, and that they feel that what was discussed will
be useful for their future as a good citizen. Half of them believe that the discussions in
the group brought about personal changes in the way they speak and behave at home
and in the school environment. And, 23% responded that sometimes the discussions
held in the group brought about personal changes. The vast majority (83%) of the

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participants think about what was discussed in the meetings before solving some
problem, and 67% believe that now (after the discussions in the meetings) they are
able to come up with better solutions to the most difficult situations they face. All of
them responded that they liked the subjects discussed and worked on in the group.

Regarding the leader who was in charge of the project, 100% responded that
they felt that the professional accepted their opinions, and also the same percentage
responded that they believed that the leader provided good solutions in difficult
moments. The vast majority (83%) of the participants felt that the leader showed
interest in their problems. All believed that the leader maintained a good relationship
among everyone, respecting each person's limits. There was a unanimous belief that
the leader played a fundamental role in making the group feel good, and for the great
majority (83%) he motivated the participants to speak openly and to say what they
thought and did.

All of them answered that the program was better than they expected; no one
thought of leaving the program meetings, and so they would tell a friend to take part
in new programs. Asked if after the activities in the meetings they feel better about
themselves, half of the participants believe so, while the other half answered
sometimes. A large portion (67%) said that they get along better with others after the
meetings, and the vast majority (83%) feel proud of themselves for having participated
in the program.

All believe that in some way superheroes are sources of inspiration to solve
problems and questions in their daily lives. All of them believe that after the program
meetings they now realize that they can make a difference in their lives, so it is
unanimous that they believe they can become their own heroes in the environment
where they live (school/family/friends/etc). When asked if the program helped them to
become aware of their individual courage and strength, all of them believe so.

There was a final get-together and a chat, where everyone is stimulated through
questions and answers (dialectically), to talk about the program, the high and low
points, what they liked the most, etc. In the chat that took place, with audio recording,
they were asked what was most important in these meetings; for them it was having
more direct contact with people, not only doing the activities, but being listened to and
receiving feedback. New friendships, living with and learning from different people,
talking about their everyday problems, and learning how to act in situations that might
occur to them were also reported. The majority reported that relating superheroes to
real life was of utmost importance. As to why, they answered that "they can guide
themselves to do better things"; "be better people"; "heroes are good influences".
When asked if they believe that they can be influenced by superheroes, they all said
yes. They answered that it was interesting to live with others and see that they live the
same reality. The new friendships were valued, and that one helped the other during
the meetings and outside of them. When asked what was a right attitude, they
answered that it was "think before you act"; "help others"; "do good"; "be a good person
in a world where everybody else is not"; "be an example to others".

When asked what would be an act of heroism, the participants answered that it
would be helping someone, "putting the other person's need before your own"; "it's not

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just helping one person, it's realizing that by helping one person you are helping others
around you"; "being a hero is the guy who always thinks of others before doing
something for himself. It doesn't matter if he gets well or not, it's never putting
someone's welfare above others, no matter how good or bad a person is.

Asked if the program meetings changed something in them, most of them
answered yes, but that they had difficulty identifying exactly what. They reported that
they were able to see their lives with new eyes, as well as everything around them.
One participant reported that he "realized that other people's problems are often bigger
than his own, so that he, like the superhero, should stand up and help them.

They reported that they projected and saw themselves in the fictional life stories
of the superheroes and took this into the creation of their stories. There were reports
of their situations of risk and social adversity such as: abandonment of the father's or
mother's home due to divorce; abandonment by the mother; murder of the brother by
drug dealing; physical violence, depression of one of the parents. But they felt
indignant about the situation they lived through, but today they realize that life must go
on, just like superheroes, they must stand up and make a better life for themselves.

One of the participants reported that he had experienced great risk situations.
This participant, in most of the meetings, was the shy one. But in the last meeting he
decided to tell his stories, and revealed that he was physically abused by his stepfather
and that his mother took him to live with his maternal grandmother. Therefore, he
reveals that he felt abandoned by his mother for choosing to live with his stepfather
and not with him. His brother, who was close to his age, was murdered because he
was a drug dealer and his body was found a week after his disappearance. This
participant missed only one meeting, and in the last meeting he was the most active
voice in requesting that the program meetings continue, because according to him,
the program is helping him to overcome all the suffering. This participant attributes this
support to the fact that he has people around him who give him attention. When asked
about his suffering, he couldn't tell us about it, but he answered that, just like Batman,
who had also lost his loved ones, he wanted to fight so that other people wouldn't go
through what they had experienced, and according to him the meetings help in this
process.

Summary of the analysis of the intervention results

Superheroes can inspire similar processes as resilience tutors, even though
they are fictional. These are sources of positive inspiration, as many scholars refer to
when dealing with the topic of resilience and tutors (Cyrulnik, 2009; Nascimento,
2007). Superadventure characters provide certain affective structure, to their
reader/viewer, being sources of overcoming and that inspire, showing how to face this
process in a more positive way. The GFK Indicator study (2008), pointed out that
superheroic characters stimulate virtues in their readers/viewers and teach them how
to face challenges and fears. Thus, more than idols, they are role models to be
imitated. For the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384 B.C.- 322 B.C.) virtuous role models
teach us to be moral citizens. More than role models, comic book superheroes are

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contemporary myths, and myths are life experiences, told through stories (Campbell,
2012). In this case, these experiences are in the storylines of a super-adventure comic
book, which brings up issues that every human being faces on a daily basis (Irwin,
2005). In addition, myths serve for understanding how to relate to the world around us
(Campbell, 1990) and we need this symbolic context that promotes identification of
individuals and their realities. Superheroes go beyond entertainment and the
characters make things more fun and easier to face (Morrison, 2012).

An important result of this study is that both the classic superhero characters,
and those created by the project participants, have the support of a third person and/or
institution (in this case it was the school) to 'stand up and survive'. This finding
reiterates that, a positive action in a school environment based on the image of the
superhero character can be an element of prevention to the involvement in antisocial
or illicit acts. As was stated in the intervention by the participants themselves.

The main results of the intervention showed that there was an understanding of
the concept of risk situations and social adversities. These, which until then were
perceived as commonplace in their environments, were highlighted by the intervention
program as potentially harmful to development, but with possibilities of "turning
around" to new ways of acting and being. Just like the fictional superheroes who also
went through difficult situations before their empowerment, the historical heroes and
each of the participants also went through or are still going through difficulties. The
focus of the positive psychoeducational intervention was on the aspect of
psychoeducational health, i.e. that this does not directly imply weakening, but on the
contrary can turn into resilience and empowering processes.

The perception that the participants had about heroism was a mythological
conception of strong beings, with powers, performing herculean work and pharaonic
challenges. The idea was linked to possessing, having super powers. The perception
of the participants changed when details of the characteristics of real (flesh and blood)
heroes in our history, and also those of their community, were presented and
discussed. Thus, the program sought to bring to the participants an understanding that
heroism is not only linked to super powers, but also to other more complex issues and
education in relational practices of care, good treatment, and reciprocity with balance
of power (Bronfendrenner, 1996). Thus, there was an understanding that anyone,
including themselves, can be this 'heroic being', for their own lives and for others
around them. Thus, the speech of one of the participants exemplifies, "First the hero
becomes his own hero (overcoming the challenge), to then save others." This was the
main idea of the intervention, that is, to enable them to be and remain their own heroes.

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