Coping mechanisms of preadolescents

Abstract

Specific environmental and economic conditions seriously affect the way children view and cope with their problems.;The study investigates the relationship between stress and coping in the preadolescent world. The study contains five hypotheses. The first states there would be a strong positive correlation between total number of problems and styles of coping. The second and third hypotheses of the study state that there will be no difference in self-esteem by sex or ethnic group. The fourth hypothesis states that self-esteem will have a strong correlation with the number of problems the child is experiencing. The fifth hypothesis states that there will be a correlation between styles of coping and ethnicity.;Using a Modified Intention Based Coping Inventory developed by Stone and Neale (1984), the Piers-Harris Children's Self-concept Scale and a Problem Screening Inventory, 140 fifth and sixth grade children in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn were surveyed.;Results indicate that there is no relationship between total number of problems and coping mechanisms. Self-esteem does not correlate with sex or ethnicity but self-esteem is affected by the number of problems the child is experiencing. Higher self-esteem is related to less problems. There is no relationship between style of coping and ethnicity.