| Abstract: | Current research on children and stress supports the belief that children today experience stressful events in a complex developmental-ecological context. Many interdependent elements, including child variables (sex, age, temperament, and developmental stage), family variables (marital status, interactions, child-rearing practices, and socioeconomic status), and variables related to the child's extended social and physical environments (neighborhood, child care, and peers), affect the ways in which children perceive, respond, and cope with stressors (Benswanger, 1982; Honig, 1986). The accuracy of children's perceptions and the development of coping skills, however, vary according to children's cognitive abilities and limitations.Jan Allen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies, College of Human Ecology, at The University of Tennessee in Knoxville. The author is appreciative of helpful comments about this article from Dr. Deborah W. Tegano and Becki A. Bowditch. |
