| This study explores the coping responses of ten adolescent males between the ages of fourteen through seventeen who were exposed to physical, emotional, and economic abuse in their homes. Coping strategies used to manage exposure to domestic violence are evaluated in the context of environmental risk factors, such as poverty, race, parental instability, and family background. Resilience is examined in order to understand its connection to coping and adaptation. In-depth interviews provide the context for the exploration of these coping behaviors.; The narratives that emerged suggest that the exposure to domestic violence and environmental stressors produce psychosocial difficulties that warrant clinical intervention. Although these adolescents display behavioral problems that could be considered pathological, the data also indicates that these same behaviors represent a real attempt to cope and adapt to the dysfunctions around them. |
