A New Contributor: Developing Curriculum to Reduce Emotional Stress in Middle Schoolers

Abstract

One of the unfortunate trends today in school is the increasing number of dysfunctional students such as latch-key children, drug babies, children with unstable parenting, and increased exposure to environmental violence. Experts argue that today's students, in general, face more stressors than ever before with fewer resources to handle them (Elkind, 1986). Acute symptoms of stress, such as drugs, violence, and suicidal attempts are occurring earlier in the adolescent years (Henderson & Dickey, 1988). Elkind (1986) suggests that middle graders are now experiencing more stress than that age group experienced in the past (p. 199), because as society is today there are fewer opportunities for young adolescents to have with adults or significant others. Technology, according to Elkind (1986), has increased the number of surface interactions, and decreased deep interactions. In addition, the burgeoning number of children of divorced parents and two-parent working families often have fewer interactions of the kind