Ethnicity, gender, self-esteem, and coping styles: A comparison of Australian and south-east asian secondary students

Abstract

South-East Asian secondary students studying in Australia experience the transitional experiences of adolescence and of studying in a foreign country. An understanding of differences in coping styles between Australian and South-East Asian secondary students may be important for providing appropriate support for South-East Asian students studying in Australia. The association of ethnicity, gender, and self-esteem with the use of different coping styles was investigated in 63 South-East Asian and 63 Australian students in two Australian secondary colleges, using the Adolescent Coping Scale (Frydenberg & Lewis, 1993a). South-East Asian students reported greater use of the reference to others coping style than Australian students. Students with low levels of self-esteem reported using nonproductive coping to a greater extent than students with moderate and high levels of self-esteem. There were no gender differences in the use of coping styles, or interactions between ethnicity, gender, and self-esteem. An implication of the study is that South-East Asian students should be supported in using the coping style of reference to others.