Over 2-week period, 52 low-income single mothers of preschool-age children recorded stressful daily events and described how they attempted to cope with each episode. Most events involved stressful interactions with children, particularly child misbehavior. Stressful exchanges involving other adults were frequently recorded, as were financial…

Describes university and community response to serial murders of five students. The campus crisis management efforts, early crisis intervention activities, rumor control, role of the media, and many other aspects of the crisis are discussed. (Author/NB)

Investigated importance of coping resources in finding reemployment after job loss. Findings from 186 unemployed adults who were actively seeking reemployment revealed that those subjects who became reemployed within three months of job loss were more internal in their locus of control, had greater self-efficacy, and possessed better…

Qualitative study of 27 couples who experienced pregnancy loss and infant death explored emotional support that spouses give to partners. In most couples, support was described by both couples as mutual. Among all who provided mutual support, most perceived fairly even exchange. Couples who provided little support to each other were helped by peer…

Exploding in anger has its charm, though putting sand in the social oil is not simple. Rudeness, like celebrity deaths, comes in threes: daily, demented, and inspired. Administrators should be forewarned: rudeness is effective only when coming from power. Powerless rude people are called nuts; powerful rude people are deemed eccentric. (MLH)

Semistructured interviews with 14 high school students who had lost parents to death or divorce disclosed some important findings. School was deemed a place of security and safety. Students with divorced parents received more teacher support than those who had lost parents to death. Students basically wanted to be accepted and considered no…

Although at-risk children develop more problems than the general population, many become healthy, competent young adults. Resilient children usually possess social competence, problem-solving skills, autonomy, and a sense of purpose and future. Families, schools, and communities protecting children from adversity are characterized by caring and…

Evaluated newsletter intervention for recently divorced mothers. Assigned 92 women to treatment and control groups with pre- and posttests given regarding the extent to which newsletter was used and changes in mothers' coping skills and psychological well-being. Results indicated that, although newsletter was well received, it did not result in…

Learning from program failure hinges upon acknowledging that everybody fails and having the ability to cope. Coping techniques may include accepting blame, denying failure, analyzing failure, blaming others, talking and sharing, remaining objective, using stress management techniques, and taking another risk. (SK)

Describes writing process of student-authored books, I Am the Author Books (ITAB), designed to move children through therapeutic process by assigning them to be experts in their own problem areas. Describes process of creating ITAB by narrating actual book guided by one of the authors working with fourth grade girl whose preschool-age sibling had…

In 3 experiments, 123, 70, and 60 college students indicated that others might reduce effort in a situation where they expect failure as a strategy to protect their perceptions of ability, but that they themselves would not. Reduced effort when threatened by failure may not be intentional. (SLD)

This study of 78 mothers of mentally retarded children and adults found that respite care acts as a differential service that can enhance coping resources and is of most benefit to high self-esteem mothers of young developmentally disabled children, especially as a home-based model. (Author/JDD)

School administrators, like politicians, ministers, and police officers, inevitably draw critics because they hold highly visible jobs. Their Achilles heel is their children, who frequently suffer physical and emotional abuse, unreasonable scrutiny, and even anxiety attacks resulting from controversial decisions reverberating through the…

The key to coping successfully with a school tragedy rests with the principal's leadership and a well-developed crisis response plan. One middle school's response to a field trip tragedy involved several stages: keeping communication flowing, meeting with crisis-management team, informing faculty and students, providing counseling, helping with…

Today's students face more stressors than ever before with fewer resources to handle them. Curriculum designers and teachers can help counselors and parents alleviate psychological stressors for middle schoolers by offering creative coursework alternatives for exemplary behavior, special units on assorted topics, experiential communication…