Coping Mechanisms of Junior High School Students of University of Santo

Tomas-Legazpi with Mothers Working Abroad

_____________________________________________________________________
___
Jericho Bite, Kim Oliver Cabredo, Melafrance Angelver Ma. Chavez, Ernesto Decano
III, Lorenzo Migel Dino, Karinna Yzavelle Gigantone, Isabela Mae Liao, Robbie
Julianne Villamor, & Rudy G. Narito
University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi
Junior High School Department
Rawis, Legazpi City, 4500

Abstract
Coping Mechanisms are often referred to as ‘survival techniques’ for people
who experiences distresses in their lives. This study involved the Junior High School
students of University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi whose mothers are working abroad.
Questionnaires were given to the respondents to obtain the needed data. As for the
results, students immerse themselves on the positive side of coping strategies to
overcome the stresses they feel without the presence of their mothers.
breakdowns, and physical inactivity.
Introduction When parents fail to monitor their
Parents are one of the most child’s progress in school, academic
important people in the lives of performance tend to dwindle due to
children. They perform the most crucial poor motivation and follow-ups. In
role of providing not only for the serious cases, mental instability also
economic needs of their children but occur such as suicidal tendency. Often,
also for their moral and spiritual they lose enthusiasm to get engage in
development; they are tasked to guide several physical activities such as
their decisions and goals, shape their sports and recreation.
beings and ultimately make them better Migratory separation can be
persons. Due to their everyday work, defined as the relocation abroad of
they should leave their child/children at parents entering a foreign work force
home or with someone else. On some (cf. Pottinger, 2005). The worst
cases some parents leave the country to consequences regarding the behaviors
be able to work abroad and to maintain of student’s absentee parents if not
a better income. Migratory separation given proper assistance are emotional
which is the separation due to difficulties which may weaken
migration of parents who work abroad, human’s capacities to recover the
inhibits the gradual intimacy between a emotional strengths.
parent and a child. Frequent absences Children can suffer direly from
result to negative reaction originating the impact of the absence of a parent
from the child such as declining living and working abroad. Certainly,
academic performance, mental being separated from a parent as a
result of such labor migration is an largely unconscious mechanisms which
increasing issue for young people in are activated in times of anxiety, stress
low- and middle-income countries in and distress without any choice or
modern society. Separation due to conscious intentionality. Coping occurs
migration of parents to work abroad is in response to psychological stress—
the lot of many young people in usually triggered by changes—in an
contemporary societies (Abakoumkin, effort to maintain mental health and
G., 2012). To assure a less unfavorable emotional well-being. Life stressors are
outcome, coping mechanisms are used often described as negative events (the
by students to increase their aptitude to death of a loved one, loss of a job,
live functionally without their parents divorce, etc.); however, positive
by their side. Even the most strong- changes in life (marriage, birth,
willed of children have limitations in moving, a new job, etc.) can also
their capability to manage their constitute life stressors, thus requiring
parents’ inadequacy in being active in the use of coping skills to adapt.
their lives. Apart from personality Coping strategies are the behaviors,
traits, people also tend to develop thoughts, and emotions that are used to
habitual modes and methods of adjust to the changes that occur in your
managing stress and coping with life.(n.d.,2018) Miceli and
upsetting emotions. By and large, these Castelfranchi (2001) support this
habitual methods do help people to notion and add that coping behaviours
manage and defuse stressful situations involve conscious modification of
they find themselves in, but they are cognitive and emotional appraisals,
not all equally efficient at this task. which eventually modify the reactions
Some work better than others. While to the stressful event rather than distort
some really do succeed in helping the perception of the event. The
people to manage upsetting emotion, individual has full control of the coping
the lesser quality methods generally strategies used (Cramer, 2000).Coping
end up causing more problems than mechanisms can be regarded as
they solve. (Dombeck, 2006). survival instruments (Fine, 1988). It is
However, consciously or a necessary tool of protection and in
subconsciously, people always adopt moderate use contribute to successful
ways to cope with whatever situations adaptation (Cramer, 2008). Over-
they are in. This is in fact a natural reliance on some of the mechanisms
among Filipinos young and old, who can lead to major negative
are known to be jolly individuals consequences: The suppression of
amidst adversities. feelings; development of psychological
Coping is a significant construct and physical symptoms caused by the
in comprehending how adolescents repressed feelings; damage to the self
react to the extensive stressors and and increased dependency on habits
adjustments they experience (Garcia, and fantasy, which impair one’s
2007). Coping mechanisms are functioning; lack of honesty and
described as ‘survival skills’. They are intimacy in relationships. The choice of
coping mechanisms is perceived more things that make you laugh. (Scarlett,
as dependent on timing, situational and 2004). Many activities that may serve
personality factors. (Baquyatan, 2015). as a way to get over the feeling of
Past studies on coping mechanism with abandonment may serve as their coping
stress suggest that there is a need of mechanisms. Reading a book may be
awareness from the parents to maintain one if it satisfies the feeling of the
adolescents health and behavior to children. It is well known that reading
minimize their stresses and promote aloud affects children 's language and
positive coping abilities (Raj,2013). At literacy development. Little is known
their adolescent age, students start to though, about fathers reading to their
realize how difficult life is without children. This study examined paternal
their parents guiding them. Often and maternal book reading frequency
times, they resent their parents for among 430 low-income families and
leaving them behind (Nayereh, 2011). investigated whether paternal book
Young adolescents may become reading and maternal book reading
stressed because they long for the predicted children 's early language and
presence of their mothers. Being cognitive development and emergent
stressed may affect their performance literacy skills. Results demonstrated
may it be about school, families, that mothers read more frequently to
friends, etc (Shahmohammadi, 2011). their toddlers than fathers but
Children of Overseas Filipino Workers approximately 55% of fathers reported
(OFWs) experience a sense of longing, reading at least weekly to their
confusion, insecurity and anxiety, loss children. Paternal book reading at 24
of closeness to parents and respect and 36 months significantly predicted
(Podaan, 2009). Many activities may children's language and cognitive skills
be perceived by students as a way to at age 36 months as well as their book
cope up with the stresses they knowledge at preK. Maternal book
experience. For example, Research on reading was only a significant predictor
emotional eating has focused on the of child cognitive skills at 36 months.
role of negative emotional arousal such (Duursma, 2014).
as experience of stress in explaining
overeating ( Greeno & Wing, 1994). This study is substantially
Eating deregulation refers to concerned with the coping mechanisms
individuals’ tendency of not being of the students of University of Santo
responsive or sensitive to internal cues Tomas-Legazpi with Overseas Filipino
of hunger and satiety to decide the Workers (OFW) mothers. This study
amount to eat, thus relying on external aimed to identify the different coping
factors to initiate and stop eating ( Tan mechanisms of Junior High School
& Holub, 2011). Also, Humor is not students of University Sto. Tomas –
easily defined. What makes a person Legazpi whose mothers are working
laugh depends on many factors, abroad as a way to manage the sense of
including personality, culture, and past longing they feel without their mother.
experience. Think for a moment of This then classified the different coping
strategies of the respondents and subject and retrieved on the agreed
determined which is the most adapted. time, 3) online means depending on the
convenience of each respondent. The
Methodology data collected remained confidential.
Crowdsourcing was the key in
The aim of this study is to choosing the respondents since students
determine the coping mechanisms of with parents working abroad are not
grade eight (8) and nine (9) students quite good in number. The respondents
with parents working abroad in terms were asked to answer demographic
of how academics and the increasing questions, grades, parental attitudes,
pressure of the society, values and and study habits which were be later on
skills they develop. categorized as to how well they
To achieve such objective, perform in school, outside activities,
qualitative survey method was utilized. and within the borders of their homes.
A verified questionnaire was shall be The target number of the respective
designed based on the research respondents was fifty (50).
framework and were distributed to the To come up with the result,
students and were then collected for descriptive statistics was used to
analysis. determine the data. Tallying was used
The research was conducted at the to compare the mean and scores of
University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi students with parents working abroad
Junior High School. The department across their coping mechanisms. Since
consists of three curricula namely the it is the most convenient for junior high
Science High School (SHS), and students like with basic knowledge in
Special Program for the Arts and Statistics, it was manageable to easily
General Curriculum (GC). All students interpret the result of the tallying.
with mothers working abroad were Once the statistical analysis was
involved in the study, however, finished, the results were presented
permission was sought from the target through graphs.
respondents. The data record was asked
from the Guidance Office to determine Results and Discussion
the exact number of students concerned
in the study. Based on the objectives of the
In order to collect data properly, research, the research obtained the
students who were be involved in the following information: the number of
study were those willing to take part in years their parent started working,
filling out the survey form. To which continent their country they
determine the eagerness of the students, work for belong to, and the different
a formal consent was handed to them method students perform in order to
before the questionnaire. In doing the cope up with the sense of longing they
survey, the researchers conducted it feel without their mother. To fulfill
through 1) a face-to-face survey, 2) a such objective, online searching for the
survey sheet will be given to the basis of the questionnaire was done to
help the research determine the The research had twenty (20)
accurate questionnaire needed for the key respondents from the Junior High
study. Until the objectives were School. Majority of the respondents
satisfied, the questionnaires chosen were from the seventh grade; there
were carefully analyzed so that it were eight (8) students, For the eighth
would be effective to the research grade there were six (6), for ninth there
conducted. was only one (1), and five (5) students
for the tenth grade. As the researchers
were conducting the survey, it was a
big responsibility to help the freshmen
to fully understand the questions the questionnaires, the researchers also
included. Some of the researchers double-checked if the names given
personally asked the were correct and the number of
presidents/students from the seventh students included were accurate. The
grade to obtain the names of the researchers first identified the basic
possible key respondents. As for the information regarding the key
eighth grade to grade nine, presidents respondents. Most of the respondents
of the class were asked online to get the live with their fathers; fifty percent
names of the students with mothers (50%) answered that they live with
working abroad. Before handing out their fathers while their mothers are
away. The other students answered that
they live with their grandparents,
COPING aunts /uncles, and nannies. There were
15%, 20% and 15% who answered that
MECHANISMS they live with their other relatives,
ALONG POSITIVE respectively. The continent of the
countries where their mothers are
MANAGEMENT working were also asked. According to
the results of the survey, almost forty
percent (40%) are working in Asia
I gain strength from success competence. (Southern, Southeast, East) while the
rest of the 60% are dispersed all over
Europe, West Asia and North/South
I involve myself in athletic events I am interested with to make me feel rejuvenated from stress. America. The last question asked was
the number of working years of their
Mothers. Fifty percent (50%) of the
I play with my favorite pet because it is one that makes my feel happy. respondents said that their mothers are
working abroad for more than six (6)
years now. The rest of the fifty percent
I watch television/go to movies whenever I feel sad because my Mother is not around. (50%) were working for a year, two-to-
d

three (2-3) and four-to- five (4-5)

c
sin d
lue

years.
u
qe n
stio

I take a nap just to forget the problems I encounter without the presence of my mother. Finally, the second part of the survey
was all about the main objective of the
study which is all about the coping
I share experiences with friends mechanisms of students left behind by
their mothers. The coping mechanisms
management were split into two parts:
I listen to happy music whenever I feel abandoned to ease the feelling Positive and Negative Management.
This part helped the researchers
0123456789 conclude if students rely more on the
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
positives ones or the other.
 Presented in the table below are adolescents are inclined to deal with
the Positive Managements chosen by their stress through positive coping
the research which are suitable to the abilities. Sports, playing with pets,
ages of the respondents. watching TV, sharing experiences with
friends and listening to music are just
As shown in both tables above, some of the diverse ways youngsters do
the results of during their pastime. Incidentally, these
Positive Management is the one are also the activities that respondents
frequently used by students to get over engage in to pacify the feeling of
with the sense of longing they feel longing for their absent mothers
while their mothers are abroad. This working abroad. This is not far from
shows that the respondents are being adapted since customarily, the
optimistic in terms of the coping youth find enjoyment in activities with
strategies they adapt. This has some friends, use of gadgets and music.
connections with the positive attitude
of Filipinos in dealing with problems or From the result, it could be
challenges. This also connects with gleaned that the two highest positive
Raj’s ( 2013) study that says coping positive strategies are ‘I watch
television/go to movies whenever I feel
sad because my Mother is not around.’
COPING MECHANISMS And ‘I share experiences with my
friends.’ For the first one, watching
ALONG NEGATIVE television and going to movies are one
MANAGEMENT of the most entertaining things to do in
times of boredom and sadness. There
are various genres of movies and series
I cry excessively whenever I feel like I am being abandoned by my Mother who is working Abroad.
which may lift up the mood of people.
There may be lots of types but there
will surely be one that satisfies the
I go wherever I want and arrive home late at night which causes fights between my relatives.
wants and the feeling of a person. For
the last one, sharing experiences with
I am not thinking about the things I do and its consequences and I care less about my future.
peers could be a mechanism that most
people go-to for the fact that there may
be some that can be considered as
I am lazy to study and I don't want to do my homework because I feel stubborn without the guidance of my Mother. burden to the person. As a way to
alleviate the feeling, talking to some of
D
UED

their most trusted people will be their

NS C
INL

resort as they feel that sharing such

IO

I become irritable/ hot tempered to other people because it triggers the way I socialize with people
UET
S

experiences can not only help

Q

themselves, but also the person whom

I spend the money my Mother sent me unwisely. they are sharing with.
Regarding the negative strategies, the
choice with the most number of
I spend much time in computer games until it became my addiction and reason not to follow instruction in the household.

0 2 4 6

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
agreement is ‘I spend much time in Further, these negative coping
computer games until it becomes my strategies add up to the burden and
addiction and reason not to follow reduce their ability to find better
instruction in the household’. options in dealing with predicaments.
Considering the fact that students are Filipinos, being optimistic people
much immersed with technology, decide better when happy and inspired.
playing computer games is part of their
lives as it is the one which they are Based on the data presented by
most interested with. Playing computer both tables, it can clearly be understood
games is not harmful at all times but that the Junior High School students of
there could be times when it becomes UST-L still rely on the positive ones
the boundary between things that are because they can still manage the
needed to be accomplished and things stresses or problem despite the absence
that are much more important. Most of their primary parent, and they don’t
students can easily access these feel bad about their mothers leaving
because they are available online and them behind for the reason that they are
internet cafes are everywhere. The doing it for the good of everyone in the
choice with least agreement is ‘I am family. There may be a time of
not thinking about the things I do and adjustment as they are still accepting
its consequences and I care less about the fact that they have to be away from
my future.’ With this result, it can their mothers but slowly as time passes
clearly be identified that students have by, they start to realize how they are
faced reality and doing harmful things benefitting without their mothers
can have unbearable consequences. As beside them, how their lives are better
students are spending hours in school, with more income their mother is
what they are preparing for is their receiving to enrich and fulfill the needs
future. It is a stepping stone for them to and wants of the family. As they are
reach what they dream of. These left behind, there may be lots of
students may have encountered people activities which they can be involved
who shattered their dreams because of with to ease the feeling and strengthen
doing things which they are not themselves. Influences around the
supposed to do and of course, they do community can also affect the way a
not want the same happening to them. person copes up. Healthy living
Instead of doing random unnecessary environment can inspire and motivate
stuff, they just focus on shaping their the student to keep going amidst the
future through discovering their talents longing of his or her primary parent,
and improving their studies and and people around can also help the
socialization with other people. way they are positively coping. They
opt to maintain their coping strategies
It is also a good outlook that the on the positive rather the negative ones
results depict that students avoid the for the fact that there might be heavier
negative ones because they affect their consequences and unlikely effect on
emotional and academic statuses. their lifestyle.
 Filipinos are wise in their decisions in
life. They might have imagined life
without proper and lack of education so
instead of indulging in activities which
Conclusion do not enrich themselves, they choose
to be more optimistic and resilient.
Based on the results, the coping This study recommends that
strategies along positive mechanism schools must initiate regular
often adapted by the Junior High counselling sessions specifically for
School Students of University of Santo high school students whose mothers are
Tomas Legazpi whose Mothers are working abroad. Further, the school
working abroad are ‘I watch may create linkages with government
television/go to movies whenever I feel agencies like POEA and OWWA for
sad because my mother is not around’ seminars, conferences that may be
and ‘I share experiences with friends’. annually conducted in the school to
Along the negative mechanism the one address salient issues brought about by
often used is ‘I spend much time in migratory separation.
computer games until it became my For future research, this study
addiction and reason not to follow recommends working on coping
instructions in the household.’ mechanisms of parents working abroad
In conclusion, the respondents whose children in the Senior High
are much more inclined to adapt School are studying in the Philippines.
positive coping mechanism than
negative coping mechanisms. This
shows connection with the resilient
character of Filipinos especially the
youth. Resiliency is the capability of
bouncing back after an adversity. This
is clearly evident even among high
school student whose mothers are
working abroad. They don’t easily give
in to the feeling of longing of their
mothers but rather find ways to deal
with the situation creatively. Their love
for occasions, festivities influence their
choices, activities and decisions.
As Filipino youth grew up with
numerous lessons and philosophies in
life from their parents and elders, they
are smart enough to choose between
what is going to do them good and
what is not. Choosing to not adapt
negative mechanism is a proof of how
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