COPING STRATEGIES AS A PERSONAL RESOURCE IN HIGH ADOLESCENCE

Abstract

This article considers coping strategies as a resource for an individual in a difficult life or stressful situation. The article gives the definition of coping behavior. Situations are given that, according to the results of research by I. M. Nikolskaya and R. M. Granovskaya, are stressful for children and require the use of coping strategies to cope with them. Such situations are: loss, illness and death of an animal; low school performance; injuries and life-threatening situations; adult problems, including material ones; conflict situations in the family; loss of a loved one, his illness; other fears and stressful situations. These authors also are considering the main ways for children and adults to cope with stressful situations. Children are more inclined to use the following coping methods: active involvement in the resolution of the current situation (correction of the assessment, a step towards reconciliation with a friend); search for social support (search for people who can listen, understand, support, give advice); concentration on your own desires (satisfaction of what you really wanted for some time); abstraction from the situation, withdrawal; analyzing the situation and giving it a new meaning.
The features of coping strategies in childhood are emphasized. It is noted that coping strategies used by children develop in the family and depend on the coping behavior of parents or other significant people. The article is considering the researches of a number of authors devoted to the study of the dynamics of coping behavior of students from early childhood to adolescence. The difference in the preferred ways of coping with difficult situations, depending on the gender of the child in each age period, is emphasized.
This article presents the results of the study of coping strategies used by children of senior adolescence. In total, 54 schoolchildren, students of grades 9-11, took part in the study. The methodology “Strategies for overcoming stressful situations” (SACS) by S. Hobfoll, adapted by N. Vodopyanova and E. Starchenkova, was used as a diagnostic material. The questionnaire contains nine models of coping behavior: “Assertive actions”, “Entering into social contact”, “Search for social support”, “Cautious actions”, “Impulsive actions”, “Avoidance”, “Indirect actions”, “Asocial actions”, “Aggressive actions”.
Among high school students, high rates are noted on the scales of “avoidance”, “asocial actions”, “aggressive actions”. The rest of the scales are dominated by average indicators. Accordingly, older students in stressful situations tend to react aggressively to problems, blame the people around them for what is happening, and also ignore the situation, behave as if nothing had happened, and avoid thinking about a problem situation. They put themselves above all others, they believe that only their opinion is correct.
By the study the general index of constructiveness of coping strategies, it is noted that the majority of the subjects have an average level of constructiveness, which indicates that, in general, they are able to cope with stressful situations without negative consequences in the future.