The Effects of Solution-Focused Group Counseling on the Stress Response and Coping Strategies in the Delinquent Juveniles

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the effects of solution-focused group counseling on the general stress, stress response and coping in the delinquent juveniles. METHOD: The subjects consisted of a convenience samlple of 60 delinquent juveniles who had been placed under probation in Kwang-ju, and recruited from Oct., 2000 to Dec., 2000. Solution-focused group counseling was conducted for the experimental group once a week for 120 to 180 minutes for 6 week. The control group received no group session. For both groups the level of general stress, stress response and coping were measured before and after the experiment. RESULT: General stress significantly decreased in the experimental group and increased in the control group, but showed no significant difference between the two groups. Stress response decreased significantly in the experimental group and increased in the control group, but showed no significant difference between the two groups. The problem-focused coping significantly increased in the experimental group and decreased in the control group, and showed a significant difference between the two groups. The emotion-focused coping significantly decreased in the experimental group and increased in the control group, and showed no significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: This study showed that solution-focused group-counselling has a positive effect on variables like the general stress, stress response, emotion-focused coping and problem-focused coping. Further study needs to be conducted to verify results