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
increasing issue for young people in
low- and middle-income countries in
modern society. Separation due to
migration of parents to work abroad is
the lot of many young people in
contemporary societies (Abakoumkin,
G., 2012). To assure a less unfavorable
outcome, coping mechanisms are used
by students to increase their aptitude to
live functionally without their parents
by their side. Even the most strong-
willed of children have limitations in
their capability to manage their
parents’ inadequacy in being active in
their lives. Apart from personality
traits, people also tend to develop
habitual modes and methods of
managing stress and coping with
upsetting emotions. By and large, these
habitual methods do help people to
manage and defuse stressful situations
they find themselves in, but they are
not all equally efficient at this task.
Some work better than others. While
some really do succeed in helping
people to manage upsetting emotion,
the lesser quality methods generally
end up causing more problems than
they solve. (Dombeck, 2006).
However, consciously or
subconsciously, people always adopt
ways to cope with whatever situations
they are in. This is in fact a natural
among Filipinos young and old, who
are known to be jolly individuals
amidst adversities.
Coping is a significant construct
in comprehending how adolescents
react to the extensive stressors and
adjustments they experience (Garcia,
2007). Coping mechanisms are
described as ‘survival skills’. They are
largely unconscious mechanisms which
are activated in times of anxiety, stress
and distress without any choice or
conscious intentionality. Coping occurs
in response to psychological stress—
usually triggered by changes—in an
effort to maintain mental health and
emotional well-being. Life stressors are
often described as negative events (the
death of a loved one, loss of a job,
divorce, etc.); however, positive
changes in life (marriage, birth,
moving, a new job, etc.) can also
constitute life stressors, thus requiring
the use of coping skills to adapt.
Coping strategies are the behaviors,
thoughts, and emotions that are used to
adjust to the changes that occur in your
life.(n.d.,2018) Miceli and
Castelfranchi (2001) support this
notion and add that coping behaviours
involve conscious modification of
cognitive and emotional appraisals,
which eventually modify the reactions
to the stressful event rather than distort
the perception of the event. The
individual has full control of the coping
strategies used (Cramer, 2000).Coping
mechanisms can be regarded as
survival instruments (Fine, 1988). It is
a necessary tool of protection and in
moderate use contribute to successful
adaptation (Cramer, 2008). Over-
reliance on some of the mechanisms
can lead to major negative
consequences: The suppression of
feelings; development of psychological
and physical symptoms caused by the
repressed feelings; damage to the self
and increased dependency on habits
and fantasy, which impair one’s
functioning; lack of honesty and
intimacy in relationships. The choice of
coping mechanisms is perceived more
as dependent on timing, situational and
personality factors. (Baquyatan, 2015).
Past studies on coping mechanism with
stress suggest that there is a need of
awareness from the parents to maintain
adolescents health and behavior to
minimize their stresses and promote
positive coping abilities (Raj,2013). At
their adolescent age, students start to
realize how difficult life is without
their parents guiding them. Often
times, they resent their parents for
leaving them behind (Nayereh, 2011).
Young adolescents may become
stressed because they long for the
presence of their mothers. Being
stressed may affect their performance
may it be about school, families,
friends, etc (Shahmohammadi, 2011).
Children of Overseas Filipino Workers
(OFWs) experience a sense of longing,
confusion, insecurity and anxiety, loss
of closeness to parents and respect
(Podaan, 2009). Many activities may
be perceived by students as a way to
cope up with the stresses they
experience. For example, Research on
emotional eating has focused on the
role of negative emotional arousal such
as experience of stress in explaining
overeating ( Greeno & Wing, 1994).
Eating deregulation refers to
individuals’ tendency of not being
responsive or sensitive to internal cues
of hunger and satiety to decide the
amount to eat, thus relying on external
factors to initiate and stop eating ( Tan
& Holub, 2011). Also, Humor is not
easily defined. What makes a person
laugh depends on many factors,
including personality, culture, and past
experience. Think for a moment of
things that make you laugh. (Scarlett,
2004). Many activities that may serve
as a way to get over the feeling of
abandonment may serve as their coping
mechanisms. Reading a book may be
one if it satisfies the feeling of the
children. It is well known that reading
aloud affects children 's language and
literacy development. Little is known
though, about fathers reading to their
children. This study examined paternal
and maternal book reading frequency
among 430 low-income families and
investigated whether paternal book
reading and maternal book reading
predicted children 's early language and
cognitive development and emergent
literacy skills. Results demonstrated
that mothers read more frequently to
their toddlers than fathers but
approximately 55% of fathers reported
reading at least weekly to their
children. Paternal book reading at 24
and 36 months significantly predicted
children's language and cognitive skills
at age 36 months as well as their book
knowledge at preK. Maternal book
reading was only a significant predictor
of child cognitive skills at 36 months.
(Duursma, 2014).
This study is substantially
concerned with the coping mechanisms
of the students of University of Santo
Tomas-Legazpi with Overseas Filipino
Workers (OFW) mothers. This study
aimed to identify the different coping
mechanisms of Junior High School
students of University Sto. Tomas –
Legazpi whose mothers are working
abroad as a way to manage the sense of
longing they feel without their mother.
This then classified the different coping
strategies of the respondents and
determined which is the most adapted.
Methodology
The aim of this study is to
determine the coping mechanisms of
grade eight (8) and nine (9) students
with parents working abroad in terms
of how academics and the increasing
pressure of the society, values and
skills they develop.
To achieve such objective,
qualitative survey method was utilized.
A verified questionnaire was shall be
designed based on the research
framework and were distributed to the
students and were then collected for
analysis.
The research was conducted at the
University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi
Junior High School. The department
consists of three curricula namely the
Science High School (SHS), and
Special Program for the Arts and
General Curriculum (GC). All students
with mothers working abroad were
involved in the study, however,
permission was sought from the target
respondents. The data record was asked
from the Guidance Office to determine
the exact number of students concerned
in the study.
In order to collect data properly,
students who were be involved in the
study were those willing to take part in
filling out the survey form. To
determine the eagerness of the students,
a formal consent was handed to them
before the questionnaire. In doing the
survey, the researchers conducted it
through 1) a face-to-face survey, 2) a
survey sheet will be given to the
subject and retrieved on the agreed
time, 3) online means depending on the
convenience of each respondent. The
data collected remained confidential.
Crowdsourcing was the key in
choosing the respondents since students
with parents working abroad are not
quite good in number. The respondents
were asked to answer demographic
questions, grades, parental attitudes,
and study habits which were be later on
categorized as to how well they
perform in school, outside activities,
and within the borders of their homes.
The target number of the respective
respondents was fifty (50).
To come up with the result,
descriptive statistics was used to
determine the data. Tallying was used
to compare the mean and scores of
students with parents working abroad
across their coping mechanisms. Since
it is the most convenient for junior high
students like with basic knowledge in
Statistics, it was manageable to easily
interpret the result of the tallying.
Once the statistical analysis was
finished, the results were presented
through graphs.
Results and Discussion
Based on the objectives of the
research, the research obtained the
following information: the number of
years their parent started working,
which continent their country they
work for belong to, and the different
method students perform in order to
cope up with the sense of longing they
feel without their mother. To fulfill
such objective, online searching for the
basis of the questionnaire was done to
help the research determine the
accurate questionnaire needed for the
study. Until the objectives were
satisfied, the questionnaires chosen
were carefully analyzed so that it
would be effective to the research
conducted.
The research had twenty (20)
key respondents from the Junior High
School. Majority of the respondents
were from the seventh grade; there
were eight (8) students, For the eighth
grade there were six (6), for ninth there
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.
I share experiences with friends
I listen to happy music whenever I feel abandoned to ease the feelling
0123456789
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
Finally, the second part of the survey
was all about the main objective of the
study which is all about the coping
mechanisms of students left behind by
their mothers. The coping mechanisms
management were split into two parts:
Positive and Negative Management.
This part helped the researchers
conclude if students rely more on the
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
computer games until it becomes my
addiction and reason not to follow
instruction in the household’.
Considering the fact that students are
much immersed with technology,
playing computer games is part of their
lives as it is the one which they are
most interested with. Playing computer
games is not harmful at all times but
there could be times when it becomes
the boundary between things that are
needed to be accomplished and things
that are much more important. Most
students can easily access these
because they are available online and
internet cafes are everywhere. The
choice with least agreement is ‘I am
not thinking about the things I do and
its consequences and I care less about
my future.’ With this result, it can
clearly be identified that students have
faced reality and doing harmful things
can have unbearable consequences. As
students are spending hours in school,
what they are preparing for is their
future. It is a stepping stone for them to
reach what they dream of. These
students may have encountered people
who shattered their dreams because of
doing things which they are not
supposed to do and of course, they do
not want the same happening to them.
Instead of doing random unnecessary
stuff, they just focus on shaping their
future through discovering their talents
and improving their studies and
socialization with other people.
It is also a good outlook that the
results depict that students avoid the
negative ones because they affect their
emotional and academic statuses.
Further, these negative coping
strategies add up to the burden and
reduce their ability to find better
options in dealing with predicaments.
Filipinos, being optimistic people
decide better when happy and inspired.
Based on the data presented by
both tables, it can clearly be understood
that the Junior High School students of
UST-L still rely on the positive ones
because they can still manage the
stresses or problem despite the absence
of their primary parent, and they don’t
feel bad about their mothers leaving
them behind for the reason that they are
doing it for the good of everyone in the
family. There may be a time of
adjustment as they are still accepting
the fact that they have to be away from
their mothers but slowly as time passes
by, they start to realize how they are
benefitting without their mothers
beside them, how their lives are better
with more income their mother is
receiving to enrich and fulfill the needs
and wants of the family. As they are
left behind, there may be lots of
activities which they can be involved
with to ease the feeling and strengthen
themselves. Influences around the
community can also affect the way a
person copes up. Healthy living
environment can inspire and motivate
the student to keep going amidst the
longing of his or her primary parent,
and people around can also help the
way they are positively coping. They
opt to maintain their coping strategies
on the positive rather the negative ones
for the fact that there might be heavier
consequences and unlikely effect on
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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