Gender Differences in Coping Strategies in Children and Adolescents

TLDR

The study examines gender‑specific development of coping strategies in children and adolescents. The present study focuses on gender effects and interactions between gender, type of stressful situation, and age‑group in coping strategies in childhood and adolescence. The authors surveyed 1990 children and adolescents (957 boys, 1033 girls; grades 3‑8) using the SSKJ 3‑8 coping questionnaire and analyzed responses with repeated‑measures ANOVAs across gender, grade level, and situation. Girls scored higher in seeking social support and problem solving, whereas boys scored higher in avoidant coping; gender differences were more pronounced in social situations, especially among adolescents, with significant Gender × Situation and Gender × Situation × Grade Level interactions. Abstract.

Abstract

Abstract. The present study focuses on gender effects and interactions between gender, type of stressful situation, and age-group in coping strategies in childhood and adolescence. The sample consisted of N = 1990 children and adolescents (957 boys, 1033 girls; grade levels 3-8). Participants responded to a coping questionnaire (Fragebogen zur Erhebung von Stress und Stressbewältigung im Kindes- und Jugendalter, SSKJ 3-8; Lohaus, Eschenbeck, Kohlmann, & Klein-Heßling, 2006 ) with the five subscales: seeking social support, problem solving, avoidant coping, palliative emotion regulation, and anger-related emotion regulation. Repeated measures ANOVAs with Gender and Grade Level as the between-subject factors and Situation (social, academic) as the within-subject factor were performed separately for each of the subscales. In general, girls scored higher in seeking social support and problem solving, whereas boys scored higher in avoidant coping. These three main effects were further modified by significant Gender × Situation interactions and for both seeking social support and avoidant coping by significant Gender × Situation × Grade Level interactions. Compared to the academic situation (homework), gender differences were more pronounced for the social situation (argument with a friend), especially in adolescence. The results are discussed with respect to a gender-specific development of coping strategies.