Coping strategies to strain caused by difficult situations amongst youth

Abstract

The paper discusses the analysis of the results of research carried out amongst youth offenders from correctional facilities for minors and high school students complying with the legal standards. The aim of the research was to present the differences in the coping strategy of adaptation to the strain caused by a difficult situation amongst the researched adolescents, taking into account the division into groups and the sex factor. In total 266 young people were assessed (133 ppl from both groups). The research was quantitative. Data analysis using Chi-square test revealed a number of significant differences in the selection of a coping strategy to the strain induced a difficult situation. The obtained data gave grounds for a partial acceptance of the research hypothesis. The analysis of the data, included the division into group and sex factor, showed that in the group of girls from correctional facilities for minors, drug and alcohol use and seeking revenge are predominant. In the group of offender boys, alcohol and drugs are predominant, as well as seeking to recover the loss and taking responsibility for one's own actions. In the group of high school students, the dominant strategies among girls and boys are: relaxing by listening to music, sport, walking, cinema, ignoring the situation that caused tension and taking responsibility for one's own actions.