NCJ Number
204248
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 33 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2004 Pages: 41-49
Date Published
February 2004
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study identified and characterized the coping strategies used by young male inmates in the prison setting.
Abstract
The sample consisted of 107 young male inmates being held in a correctional facility in Barcelona, Spain. The Coping Responses Inventory Adult Form was used to evaluate coping strategies. The analysis focused on the type of coping strategies that predominated among inmates, considering both the focus and the method; the use of coping strategies in relationship to the characteristics of the prison environment; the relationship of the coping strategy to the inmate's perception of the stressful situation; and the relationship of the inmate's cognitive level to the strategies used. The variables reflective of the prison environment were time spent in prison, previous convictions (first time or repeat offender), and custodial status (remand or convicted inmate). The data analysis indicates that the inmates used "approach" strategies (direct efforts to resolve the stressful situation) more often than avoidant strategies, and cognitive strategies were used more often than behavioral ones. This coping pattern is similar to that observed in nonprison populations. The time of exposure to a stressor was a variable that produced changes in the specific coping strategies used. Also, first-time inmates were more likely to use the strategy of "seeking alternative rewards" than were repeat offenders. Contrary to what might be expected, custodial status did not influence the type of strategy used. Neither as a relationship found between cognitive ability and individual coping styles. A degree of consistency was found between the inmate's perception of the problem and the preferred strategy for dealing with it. 4 tables and 22 references