Coping Strategies

Coping strategies has been defined broadly as "cognitive and behavioral

efforts to manage specific external or internal demands (and conflicts between them)

that are appraised as challenging or exceeding the resources of a person” (Lazarus,

1991, as cited by Schwarzer & Schwarzer, 1996). It is also defined as the actions

usually done to survive from any negative situations or when threatened

(WHO/EHA/EHTP, 1999). Additionally, it is also known as a dynamic process in

which a person must rely more heavily on different forms of coping at different times

and under different circumstances (Lazarus, 1981; Lazarus and Folkman, 1984, as

cited by Nurmi, 2010).

In the present study, coping strategies are the ways on how the ____

Criminology student of CTC would handle the stress or negative events which

usually happen on their lives. These also pertain to how Criminology students adjust

and cope with certain situations in school. This includes problem focused, emotion

focused and less useful coping strategy. It was measured through the researchers

made questionnaire. Below are the subscales which composed the inventory:

Problem-focused

This refers to the effort of the self to take care of the problem thereby

overcoming anxiety (Cuña, 2013). People who employ problem focused strategy

often find ways and make plans to deal with the problem.

Active Coping

This refers to the pupils’ action taken to remove the stressors directly. This

includes initiating direct action and putting one’s effort to minimize or remove the

stressor (Carver, Weintraub and Scheier, 1989).

 Planning

This refers to pupils planning/thinking of possible ways to remove the

stressors. This includes coming up with strategies on how to handle a situation

(Carver, Weintraub and Scheier, 1989).

Suppression of Competing Activities

This refers to the pupils’ effort to focus on one event to be able to deal with

the stressor by letting other projects/activity aside (Carver, Weintraub and Scheier,

1989).

Restraint Coping

This refers to the pupils’ passive behavior in dealing with the stressor by

holding oneself and waits for the appropriate opportunity (Carver, Weintraub and

Scheier, 1989).

Use of Instrumental Social Support

This refers to the pupils’ effort on seeking social support thru advice,

information or assistance (Carver, Weintraub and Scheier, 1989).

Emotion-focused

This refers to the reduction of emotional distress that accompanies the

problem. People who employ emotion focused strategy often find other people to talk

with and share their feelings with (Cuña, 2013).

Use of Emotional Social Support

This refers to the pupils’ effort on seeking emotional social support thru

getting sympathy, moral support and understanding (Carver, Weintraub and Scheier,

1989).
 Positive Reinterpretation and Growth

This refers to the pupils’ effort to make the best of the situation by growing

from it or viewing it in a more favourable view (UCSF, 2008).

Acceptance

This refers to the pupils’ recognition of one’s situation wherein there is an

engagement to attempt to deal with the stressor (Carver, Weintraub and Scheier,

1989).

Denial

This refers to the pupils’ rejection of one’s situation experiencing as if the

stressor doesn’t exist (Carver, Weintraub and Scheier, 1989).

Religious Coping

This refers to the pupils' action to turn to religion when under stress (Carver,

Weintraub and Scheier, 1989).

Less useful

This refers to the coping strategy wherein the approach is less effective.

Focus on and Venting of Emotions

This refers to the tendency to focus on whatever distress one is experiencing

and to ventilate those feelings (Carver, Weintraub and Scheier, 1989).

Behavioral Disengagement

This refers to the reducing of one’s effort in dealing with the stressor thru

giving up in attaining a specific goal (Carver, Weintraub and Scheier, 1989).

Mental Disengagement

This refers to the distraction of a person from thinking about the stressor thru

daydreaming, sleep or watching television (Carver, Weintraub and Scheier, 1989).

 Substance Use

This refers to use of alcohol and drugs to overcome the feeling of distress

(UCSF, 2008).

Humor

This refers to the pupils’ ability to laugh or make fun of the situation to lessen

the distress ones’ experiencing (UCSF, 2008).