Coping competencies: what to teach and when

What we know about coping--the theory, conceptual framework, what is good and bad coping, and how we learn to cope--has important implications for how we deal with life circumstances and, in particular, how we manage conflict. This article outlines how we conceptualize coping as a response to stress and as a means to develop resilience. The measurement of the construct and the insights that research has provided have enabled us to develop programs to teach young people how to cope. One such program, the Best of Coping, is detailed and evaluated in a number of school settings in Australia and Italy. The implications of using a language of coping in educational contexts provides a promising mechanism for equipping young people to deal with the conflicts and difficulties that may arise in their lives, within and beyond school settings.

**********

Conflict is an important and pervasive aspect of life; in fact, a case can be made that it should be enjoyed (Opotow & Deutsch, 1999). Over the years many clinicians and social scientists have given conflict a bad name and associated it with dysfunction. However, if there are coping strategies that enable an individual to deal effectively with conflict, there is a likelihood of achieving a productive outcome. Effective coping strategies can transform a conflict into a problem that can be solved mutually; conversely, destructive coping strategies can transform conflict in negative ways to lead to conflict escalation and negative outcomes (Opotow & Deutsch, 1999). For a whole host of reasons, including the inability to deal with conflict situations at an interpersonal and global situational level, depression is being experienced in epidemic proportions in many Western communities, and in particular among young people. The search for effective ways to reverse this trend has resulted in a significant shift in psychological approach, from a focus on helplessness and pathology, to a more positive orientation that emphasizes health and well-being and the ability to reframe problems as challenges.

There are many challenges to be faced in contemporary society, including the stresses of everyday living in the technological age, changes in family life, and the complexities inherent in relationships. How we respond to these challenges, much of which involves dealing with conflict, is of major interest. Conflicts do occur as part of everyday living and they need to be managed constructively. Although there are clear-cut procedures for managing conflict (Johnson & Johnson, 2002; Opotow & Deutsch, 1999), an understanding of coping theory and the ability to employ a range of productive coping strategies contributes to a reduction in stress. Thus, the fostering of personal agency is an important component in inoculating young people against depression and equipping them with life management skills.

We know a lot about managing conflict through the vast body of literature in that field and, similarly, we know a great deal about stress and coping, arguably the most widely researched area in contemporary psychology. However, these two bodies of knowledge to date have not been brought together. While key researchers in the field such as Deutsch and Johnson have detailed the approach that is most helpful in dealing with conflict, the insights gained from coping self-analysis offer ways to enhance coping in all facets of our lives, particularly in coping with stresses and conflicts. This article provides an introduction to the theory of coping, the key conceptual areas, the relevant findings, and how coping skills can be developed in the context of life-skills training in school settings.

Defining Stress

The term stress had its origins in physics rather than in psychology or physiology. Essentially, it was a term used in engineering to describe the effect of a mechanical force that placed strain or pressure on an object. The physiological theories of stress focus on the arousal that occurs when an organism is under threat and there is a response to the stress that may be adaptive (i.e., there is an attempt to "fight or flee" the stress). If the stress persists, there is likely to be a harmful outcome for the organism (Cannon, 1932). Illness is often a result of the exertion or demand that is made on a particular physiological system, although it is acknowledged that biological or genetic predisposition may play an important part in illness. Selye (1991) described stress as "the non-specific response of the body to any demands placed upon it" (p. 472).

Selye makes the distinction between stress that mobilizes the individual to effective performance (eustress), such as when there is heightened performance in a debate, and stress that is more negative (distress). Stresses can be physical, such as those pertaining to the environment (e.g., extreme heat or cold); psychosocial, such as those experienced when relationships are not working; and daily hassles, such as having a quarrel with a friend. Conflicts can be energizing, in that they stimulate discussion and thought, or they can contribute to distress when individuals don't feel they have the resources to cope.