Adolescent Perceptions of Interparental Conflict, Stressors, and Coping as Predictors of Adolescent Family Life Satisfaction

Using family stress theory, this study examined the relationship between adolescent reports of selected demographic variables (gender, age, family form), interparental conflict (style, content, intensity, resolution), stress due to the pileup of stressors, coping strategies (social support, detrimental coping), and adolescent family life satisfaction. The sample was comprised of 155 adolescents ranging from 14 to 18 years of age who completed self-report questionnaires at one of three rural Oklahoma high schools. Four dimensions of interparental conflict (overt conflict style, conflict about childrearing, conflict about family roles/finances, conflict resolution), stress due to pileup, social support coping, and detrimental coping were significantly related to family life satisfaction. Adolescent age was positively related to family life satisfaction. Within the scope of family stress theory, scholars have addressed how the combination of stressors and coping strategies relates to the adaptation of individuals within family systems (McCubbin and Patterson 1983). Further, investigations of the relationship of parental divorce to well-being in children and adolescents suggest that interaction patterns within various family forms may be more fruitful in explaining the adaptation of youth than parental marital status (Demo 1992). The perception by youth of conflict between their parents (i.e., interparental conflict) has emerged as a key family stressor that has the potential to explain variation in adolescent adaptation in a variety of family forms (Buehler, Krishnakumar, Anthony, Tittsworth, and Stone 1994). Stressor events for adolescents such as interparental conflict generally do not occur in isolation. Rather, they exist within the context of other stressors such as economic stress, difficulties at school, or normative developmental tasks for families with adolescents (e.g., changing family roles to allow greater adolescent autonomy; McCubbin and Patterson 1986). Further, considerable variation exists in the coping strategies (e.g., social support, avoidance) that adolescents use in response to stress (McCubbin and Patterson 1986). Finally, previous research shows variation between certain demographic variables and adolescent adaptation. Thus, the current study was developed to examine how selected demographic variables (gender, age, family form), adolescent perceptions of interparental conflict (style, content, intensity, degree of resolution), stress based on the pileup of stressor events, and coping strategies relate to adolescent satisfaction with family life (one indicator of adaptation).     

Coping with Family Conflict and Economic Strain: The Adolescent Perspective

This study tested two models of family economic problems and adolescent psychological adjustment. Using adolescents’ survey data and information regarding school lunch program enrollment, the associations among family SES, perceived economic strain, family conflict, and coping responses were examined in a sample of 364 adolescents from rural New England. Two theoretical models were tested using structural equation modeling — one tested coping as a mediator of the stress – psychopathology relation and the other tested coping as a moderator. Results revealed that family economic hardship was related to aggression and anxiety/depression primarily through two proximal stressors: perceived economic strain and conflict among family members. Family conflict partially mediated the relation between economic strain and adolescent adjustment, and coping further mediated the relation between family conflict and adjustment. These analyses identified two types of coping that were associated with fewer anxiety/depression and aggression problems in the face of these stressors — primary and secondary control coping. Although primary and secondary control coping were associated with fewer adjustment problems, youth who were experiencing higher amounts of stress tended to use less of these potentially helpful coping strategies and used more of the potentially detrimental disengagement coping. The models did not differ according to the age or gender of the adolescents, nor whether they lived with two parents or fewer. No support was found for coping as a moderator of stress. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research involving coping with economic stressors are reviewed.     

Stress and impact of spirituality as a mediator of coping methods among social work college students

ABSTRACT

This exploratory pilot study was conducted to understand the stress level and coping strategies of social work students, with the aim to develop strategies to help students increase their ability to manage stress. The study examined the levels of stress perceived by the students in a faith-based program, identified their coping methods, and explored the impact of spirituality on the perceived stress level. A significant association between students’ stress levels and their coping methods existed among all the measures. Adaptive coping methods, such as Active Coping, Positive Framing, and Religion, were significantly correlated with lower levels of stress, while maladaptive coping methods, such as Behavioral Disengagement, Self-Distraction, Denial, Substance Abuse, Venting, and Self-Blame were correlated with higher levels of stress. Spirituality had a greater buffering effect on the students’ ability to handle stress. The higher the level of student spirituality the less likely the students were to have higher levels of stress and the more likely they were to use adaptive coping methods rather than dysfunctional coping methods. This study discusses the important ramifications of reducing stress in college students especially in a faith-based program, as well as strategies for reframing how stress and coping methods are viewed so as to better help students for current and future social work education and practice landscapes.     

Childhood Coping Strategies and the Adult Adjustment of Female Sexual Abuse Victims

A sample of 66 college women's retrospective reports of childhood sexual abuse were examined in order to identify the coping strategies implemented by these women at the time of the abuse to deal with their victimization and the relationship between these coping efforts, their perceptions of control over the abuse, and their adult adjustment. Resuts indicated that victims attempt both to regulate their distress (with emotion-focused coping strategies) and to impact the actual abuse situation (using problem-focused coping strategies). However, victims report relying more heavily on the use of emotion-focused strategies. Results further suggest that adult symptomatology is most strongly related to level of emotion-focused coping implemented by victims, with greater use of these strategies associated with greater levels of dysfunction. The implications of these results are discussed with regard to prevention programs.     

PROBLEM SOLVING SELF-APPRAISAL AND COPING EFFORTS IN DISTRESSED AND NONDISTRESSED COUPLES*

The present study sought to investigate the relationship between problem solving self-appraisal (i.e., perceived confidence, personal control, approach-avoidance), specific coping efforts (negotiation, optimistic comparisons, advice seeking, emotional discharge, selective ignoring, and resignation) and marital distress. Seventy-five couples completed the Problem Solving Inventory, the Marital Coping Questionnaire, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. When compared to nondistressed spouses, distressed spouses showed less problem solving confidence, a tendency to avoid different problem solving activities, and poor strategies to control their behavior. In addition, three coping efforts-optimistic comparisons, negotiation, and resignation–differentiated distressed from nondistressed spouses. However, the results of multiple regression analysis suggest that specific coping efforts are more important than problem solving self–appraisal in predicting marital satisfaction. These findings are discussed in terms of the role of cognitive factors in marital dysfunction.     

Coping with parental loss because of termination of parental rights

This article addresses the process by which children and adolescents cope with severe acute stress of parental loss from causes other than divorce or death. Participants were 60 children and adolescents from a residential treatment facility. Most had experienced neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse, and their parents had their parential rights terminated. Measures of symptomatology indicated that children reported low levels of depressive symptoms, whereas caregivers reported the children were experiencing significant psychological problems. Children used avoidant coping strategies more often than emotion-focused coping strategies, which, in turn, were used more than problem-focused coping strategies. Results are discussed in terms of helping children cope with parental loss.     

Domestic violence beliefs and perceptions among college students

This study builds on current research, investigating the relationships between sociodemographic variables and domestic violence attitudes and beliefs among college students. Data from the Relationship Characteristics Study conducted in 2001, which includes a sample of 1,938 college students, are used to replicate and extend the research of Carlson and Worden (2001, 2005), the developers of the attitudes and beliefs items. In addition, the research portends to analyze factors associated with domestic violence causation endorsement, physical and sexual abuse, stalking, and verbal abuse beliefs, including gender, race and ethnicity, university year, parents' education, family income, parents' marital status, and relationship status. Results are consistent with the rates reported by the item developers. Further, results demonstrate that sociodemographic variables are correlated with physical and sexual abuse and verbal abuse beliefs and causation endorsement.     

Conformity, peer pressure, and adolescent receptivity to treatment for substance abuse: a research note.

To explore the possibility that peer influences not only contribute to adolescent substance abuse but shape feelings about being in treatment for substance abuse, forty adolescent inpatients were surveyed. Misconduct, including substance abuse, was predicted best by perceived peer pressure toward misconduct, low opinions of the value of treatment by disposition to conform to antisocial peers, and sense of stigma associated with being treated by perceived peer pressure toward conformity. Concerns over peer acceptance may be one basis for resistance to substance abuse treatment.     

Co-occurrence between marital aggression and parents' child abuse potential: the impact of cumulative stress

Evidence suggests that marital aggression and parent-to-child aggression sometimes occur within the same family, but little is known about why certain families are vulnerable to multiple forms of family aggression. According to family systems theory, negative affect in one family relationship can spread to other family relationships. According to family stress theory, aversive circumstances increase families' vulnerability to disruption and conflict. Based on these theories, the present study tests the hypothesis that cumulative family stresses potentiate the association between marital aggression and parents' child abuse potential. In a series of additive interactional models, husband-to-wife aggression was linked to husbands' and wives' child abuse potential in a context of both high financial stress and high parenting stress but was not linked in a context of low stress. Wife-to-husband aggression was linked to wives', but not husbands', child abuse potential in a context of high stress. These results highlight the potential role of contextual factors in the pervasiveness of aggressive exchanges across multiple family subsystems.     

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Suicidal Ideation Among Sexually Abused Adolescent Girls: The Mediating Role of Shame

ABSTRACT

Sexual abuse is associated with a host of negative repercussions in adolescence. Yet the possible mechanisms linking sexual abuse and negative outcomes are understudied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among self-blame, shame, coping strategies, posttraumatic stress disorder, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. The sample included 147 sexually abused adolescent girls between 14 and 18 years of age. A total of 66% of girls reached clinical score for posttraumatic stress disorder, and 53% reached clinical score for depressive symptoms. Close to half (46%) reported suicidal thoughts in the past 3 months. Shame was found to partially mediate the relationship between self-blame and posttraumatic stress disorder. Shame and depressive symptoms were also found to partially mediate the relationship between self-blame and suicidal ideation. Results suggest that shame is a crucial target in interventions designed for sexually abused adolescent girls.     

TREATING ADOLESCENT DRUG ABUSE: A COMPARISON OF FAMILY SYSTEMS THERAPY, GROUP THERAPY, AND FAMILY DRUG EDUCATION

The differential effectiveness of three models of adolescent drug abuse treatment was assessed in a controlled outcome study. Family Systems Therapy (FST) was compared to Adolescent Group Therapy (AGT) and Family drug Educations (FDE). FST appeared to be more effective in stopping adolescent drug abuse than AGT or FDE, registering twice as many apparently drug-free clients than FDE and three times as many as AGT. However, a number of possible confounds make this conclusion tentative. No tretment approach was superior in altering patterns of family functioning although all three conditions improved perceived intergenerational communication.     

Perception of Substance Abuse Program Effectiveness and Communication Practices in Florida Municipal Governments

In the recent past, public organizations have enacted substance abuse policies with increasing vigor in order to curb worker related drug abuse. A great deal is known about the legal aspects of drug testing. Far less information, however, exists to assess how frequently city officials communicate substance abuse policies to their employees. With the aid from responses of Florida city officials, this study assesses the intensity with which information is distributed to municipal employees. In addition, the research seeks to determine if communication is influenced based on the perceived benefits resulting from the implementation of organizational substance abuse policies. Results of the study indicate a higher than anticipated level of communication passivity in many Florida cities. Furthermore, survey results indicate that one in four respondents are unsure of the effect that their policies have on reducing worker drug abuse behavior. One of the single most important aspects of modem management.     

Coping with partner abuse among Mexican American and Anglo women: ethnic and socioeconomic influences

This exploratory study examines the influence of ethnic group membership and socioeconomic status on the coping strategies reported by women victims of partner abuse. Ninety-three Mexican American and Anglo women recruited from the general community were interviewed after being screened for the presence of partner abuse. Individual coping tactics reported by the respondents were coded as internal focus or external focus coping strategies. Multiple regression results indicate that only socioeconomic status significantly predicts internal focus coping beyond the contribution of ethnicity.     

Exploring Gender and Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Effects of Child Sexual Abuse

Child sexual abuse (CSA) has been linked to a number of adverse effects including hypersexuality (HYP), substance use (SUB), suicidality (SUI), and depression (DEP). Despite a plethora of research on CSA, little is known about how it affects adolescents and the cultural factors that influence their coping styles. This study was founded on social-cultural coping theory and the model of traumagenic dynamics of sexual abuse, suggesting that CSA consequences lead to maladaptive coping mechanisms influenced by sociocultural factors. Using archival data, loglinear analysis was conducted to examine gender differences within racial/ethnic groups in HYP, SUI, DEP, and SUB among adolescent survivors of CSA in a National sample of 13,583 male and female high school students. The purpose of the study was to identify differences in the effects of CSA as manifested by variations of maladaptive coping across racial/ethnic groups and gender. Boys were significantly more likely to use substances, while girls were more likely to experience depressive symptoms and suicidality. Notably, this study did not reveal any significant racial/ethnic differences in adolescent coping. These findings can inform treatment planning and interventions for adolescents who may present with DEP, SUI, SUB, or risky sexual behaviors, but may have underlying trauma from CSA. This study contributes to the knowledge base about the processes that take place within adolescent CSA survivors, shedding light on cultural nuances among adolescent coping and informing culturally competent practice.     

Sexual abuse,family violence,and female delinquency: findings from a longitudinal study

The current study examines the effects of three forms of childhood victimization on self-reported delinquency and aggression in adolescent girls. These analyses are based on a longitudinal sample of 141 mother-daughter pairs participating in a study about marital violence and child development. When the children were school aged, mothers and children provided reports describing (a) child exposure to marital violence, (b) escalated physical abuse against the child, and (c) child sexual abuse. Children were followed up into adolescence and re-interviewed. Self-reports of delinquency (violent and nonviolent), running away, and violence against parents were collected. Results indicate that out of the three forms of victimization, child sexual abuse emerged as the strongest predictor of girls' violent and nonviolent criminal behavior. Girls with a history of physical abuse in childhood were most likely to assault their parents. Witnessing marital violence failed to contribute further to delinquency, beyond the adverse association with childhood sexual abuse. Findings highlight a unique avenue for delinquency in girls via childhood sexual exploitation.     

Childhood Coping Strategies of Intrafamilial and Extrafamilial Female Sexual Abuse Victims

A sample of 66 college women's retrospective reports of childhood sexual abuse was examined in order to identify the coping strategies implemented by victims of intrafamilial and extrafamilial sexual abuse at the time of their victimization Results indicated that both intrafamilial and extrafamilial victims reported attempts to regulate their distress (with emotion-focused coping strategies) and to impact the actual abuse situation (using problem-focused coping strategies). However, intrafamilial victims reported employing more of both types of coping as compared to extrafamilial victims. With regard to more specific types of emotion-focused coping, intrafamilial victims reported using more wishful thinking, detachment self-blame, and self-isolation. Differences between the two groups are also examined on a strategy-by-strategy basis. The implications of these results are discussed with regard lo clinical interventions for victims.     

Retirement:

Stressful life events have been proposed as a possible cause of elder abuse. This study investigates the influence of retirement status on marital conflict and physical violence using a nationally representative sample of 1238 respondents aged 55 years and older. No significant differences were found between retired men and women compared to their nonretired counterparts on measures of depression, stress, marital conflict, and violence. Future research should examine other life events, such as serious illness of one partner or changes in living situation, that might have a more significant impact on marital discord in later life.     

Coping and Adjustment in Male and Female Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the effects of childhood sexual abuse for male and female survivors, characteristics of the abuse experience, current coping strategies, and current psychological adjustment. Nineteen male and 59 female adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, recruited from both local and national support groups, completed a background questionnaire, dispositional coping inventories measuring current and retrospective abuse-specific coping styles, and measures of current psychological adjustment. In response to sexual abuse experienced during childhood, avoidance coping emerged as the most frequently used strategy by both sexes. Although there were no gender differences in current use of problem-focused and avoidance strategies, males related more use of acceptance whereas females utilized more emotion-focused coping. In general* females reported significantly greater trauma-related distress than males, including higher levels of anxiety, depression, and post-trauma symptoms.     

Coping Strategies Used by Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse on the Journey to Recovery

This interpretative phenomenological analysis study explored seven adult survivors' experiences of coping with childhood sexual abuse and identified their coping strategies on the road to recovery. Data for the analysis was collected using semistructured interviews. The analytical process yielded two key theme clusters: avoidant coping strategies and problem-focused coping strategies. The participants journeyed through similar gradual and dynamic coping processes by initially adopting avoidant strategies before turning to problem-focused ones. A healthy process of coping with sexual abuse involved seeking support, cognitive engagement, optimistic thinking, self-acceptance, and seeking meaning strategies. This study suggests that problem-focused coping strategies should be promoted as part of therapeutic intervention.