Coping Strategies and psychological well-being among adolescents

Abstract

The research aimed to compare the difference in coping strategies used by bullied and non bullied adolescents. Two hundred and ninety participants were selected from a total ol seven measured by Multidimensional Peer-Victimization were assessed using Brief COPE scale private schools of Karachi. Victimization was Scale (Mynard & Joseph. 2000) and coping strategies used to select bullied participants and convenient(Carver, 1997). Purposive sampling was sampling was used to select non-bullied participants. On account ol the large difference of adolescents found in bullied group (N=52) and non-bullied group (N-238). the sample was reduced to one hundred and ten adolescents. By using the mean-value of adolescents' overall Multidimensional Peer-Victimization Scale the two groups were formed, where fifty- nine belonged to the bullied group and fifty-one belonged to the non-bullied group. Independent sample t-lest was then applied to lest the hypothesis and significant differences were found in coping strategies used by bullied and non-bullied adolescents, in which bullied adolescents were found to use both adaptive coping (p=.028. M=38.24) and maladaptive coping (p=.000, M=31.80) when dealing with victimization. Specific coping strategies used by bullied score on adolescents, of the given study, were also analyzed and it was found that self-distraction (p .008. M=5.08). behaviouralM=5.73), denial (p= 036. M=4.27). emotional support (p=001. disengagement (p=.001. M=4.51). venting (p=.001. M=4.75). humour (p=.00j. M-4.25). acceptance (p=.020. M=5.64) and sell-blame (p= 000. M=4.73) were the strategies used most todeal with bullying. Limitations, recommendation and implications ol the study were discussed