Teaching Young People to Cope

Abstract

Improving children and adolescent adaptation to stress has been identified as a promising approach to preventing the development of problems and illness in young people. This chapter will cover the theoretical and conceptual framework that underlies coping and will address the relevance of this conceptualization for children, adolescents, and adults. It will consider the implications for educational practice in a general sense and more particularly focuses on the development of coping skills in school settings. The development of a coping skills program, The Best of Coping (BOC), was developed at Melbourne University as a skills-based cognitive behavioral program designed to facilitate the learning of positive thinking skills and productive coping strategies in adolescents. The outcomes of seven evaluations in a number of settings are presented. Collectively, they highlight the fact that young people can be provided with skills that enhance their ability to cope effectively with their life circumstances.