Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T19:52:04.189Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Calling upon their altruism: Developing prosocial behaviour in adolescents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2016

Erica Frydenberg*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne
Get access

Extract

This paper takes as its starting point two major reviews of young people's psychosocial development and considers the outlook for their future. In the context of growing concern about young people's prospects, it is proposed that one way to harness the vitality of youth and avert psychosocial problems is through the development of adolescent awareness and involvement with matters of social concern. It is proposed that by identifying young people's concerns and the development of their coping skills in relationship to matters that are relevant to them, it is possible to deal with stress, increase self awareness, develop communication skills, and empower young people to become altruistic/prosocial participants in the community.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Australian Youth Institute, The Age, Melbourne, December 21 1993.Google Scholar
Batson, C.D. (1991). The Altruism Question. New Jersey: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Batten, M. & Russell, J. (1995). Students at risk: A review of Australian literature 1980–1994. Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.Google Scholar
Beardslee, W.R. & Mack, J.E. (1982). The impact on children of nuclear developments. Psychosocial aspects of nuclear developments (Task Force Report No.20), Washington D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.Google Scholar
Beardslee, W.R. & Mack, J.E., (1983). Adolescents and the threat of nuclear war: The evolution of the perspective. Yale Journal of Biological Medicine, 56, 7991Google Scholar
Beardslee, W.R. & Mack, J.E., (1986). Youth and children and the nuclear threat. Newsletter from Society Research in Child Development. (Winter) 1-2.Google Scholar
Boniecki, G.J. (1980). What are the limits of man's time and space perspectives? Towards a definition of a realistic planning horizon. Technological Forecasting in Social Change, 17, 161175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, Great transitions: Preparing adolescents for a new Century. October 1995Google Scholar
Collins, J.K. & Harper, J.F. (1978a). The adolescent girl. Sydney: Cassell Australia Ltd.Google Scholar
Collins, J.K. & Harper, J.F. (1978b). The adolescent boy. Sydney: Cassell Australia Ltd.Google Scholar
Compas, B.E. (1987). Coping with stress during childhood and adolescence. Psychological Bulletin, 101, 393403.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dellow, D.A., Ross, S.M., & James, T. (1980). Grades: Are they still bothering adolescents? High School Journal, 64 (2), 5559.Google Scholar
Eme, R., Maisiak, R., & Goodale, W. (1979). Seriousness of adolescent problems. Adolescence, XIV (53), 9399.Google Scholar
Eckersley, R. (1988). Casualties of change: The predicament of youth in Australia. A report on the social and psychological problems faced by young people in Australia. Melbourne: Commission for the Future.Google Scholar
Escalona, S. (1982). Growing up with the threat of nuclear war: Some indirect effects on personality development. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 52 (4), 600607.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Evans, G., & Poole, M. (1987). Adolescent concerns: A classification for life skills areas. Australian Journal of Education, 31 (1), 5572.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finlayson, P., Reynolds, T., Rob, M., & Muir, C. (1987). Adolescents: Their views, problems and needs. A survey of high school students, Hornsby Ku–ring–Gai Area Health Service.Google Scholar
Frydenberg, E. (1990). Concerns of youth and how they cope: A study of Australian adolescents. Doctoral Thesis, La Trobe University, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Frydenberg, E., & Lewis, R. (1991a) Adolescent coping styles and strategies: Is there functional and dysfunctional coping? Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling. 1, 34–4.Google Scholar
Frydenberg, E., & Lewis, R. (1993a). Practitioners Manual: The Adolescent Coping Scale. Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.Google Scholar
Frydenberg, E., & Lewis, R. (1993b). Social issues: Do young people care? How do they cope? The Peace Psychology Bulletin, 2, 3035.Google Scholar
Frydenberg, E., & Rowley, G. (1993). Coping with social issues: What university students do. Paper presented at the Third International Symposium on the Contributions of Psychology to Peace, Ashland, USA August, 1993.Google Scholar
Frydenberg, E., & Lewis, R. (in press). Measuring the concerns of Australian adolescents: Developing a concise classificatory system. Australian Educatinal Researcher.Google Scholar
Frydenberg, E., & Lewis, R. (in press). Social Issues: What concerns young people and how do they cope? Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology.Google Scholar
Geddis, A. (1991). Improving the quality of science classroom discourse on controversial issues. Science Education, 75, (2), 169183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hauser, S.T. & Bowlds, M.K. (1990). Stress, coping and adaptation. In Feldman, S. & Elliot, G, (Eds). At the Threshold: the Developing Adolescent, (388413). Cambridge: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Jennings, P.J., Storey, D., & Zweigenhaft, R.L. (1985). Student Attitudes to the Nuclear Arms Race. Research Report, Murdoch University, W.A.Google Scholar
Johnson, D. & Johnson, R. (1995). Teaching students to be peacemakers: Results of five years of research. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology. 1(4). 417439.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maccoby, E. (1995). Our national Families and Children: The Quiet Crisis. Invited address at the AERA Annual Meeting, San Francisco, April.Google Scholar
McMurray, N., & Prior, M. (1985, September). Adolescents' cognitive appraisals, efficacy expectations and level of involvement with nuclear issues. Paper presented at the Joint Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Psychological Societies, Christchurch.Google Scholar
Nicholson, S.I., & Antill, K.K. (1981). Personal problems of adolescents and their relationship to peer acceptance and sex role identity. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 10, 309325.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Offer, D., & Offer, J. (1975). From teenage to young manhood: A psychological study. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Patterson, J.M., & McCubbin, H.I. (1987). Adolescent coping style and behaviours: Conceptualisation and measurement. Journal of Adolescence, 10, 163186.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pearse, B., & Chabassol, D.J. (1976). Relationship of adolescent problems to sex, socioeconomic status, school achievement, intelligence quotient and grade. Psychological Reports, 39, 11371148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prior, M. (1985). The nuclear threat: What do young people say? Paper delivered at ANZAAS Congress, Melbourne, August.Google Scholar
Roker, D., Coleman, J. & Player, K. (1995). Adolescent altruism: Young people, schools and community service in Britain. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco.Google Scholar
Roscoe, B. (1985). Social Issues as social problems: Adolescents' perceptions. Adolescence, XX(78), 377383.Google Scholar
Rutter, M. (1981). Stress, coping and development: Some issues and some questions. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 22(4), 323356.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rutter, M. & Smith, D. (1995). Psychosocial disorders in young people. London: Wiley.Google Scholar
Schwebel, M. (1982). Effects of the nuclear threat on children and teenagers: Implications for professionals. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 52(4), 269298.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Seiffge–Kreke, I. & Shulman, S. (1990). Coping style in adolescence. Journal of Cross–Cultural Psychology, 2, 351–337.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shachter, B. (1986). Growing up under a mushroom cloud. Social Work, 3 (3), 187192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stark, L.J., Spirito, A., Williams, C.A. & Guevremont, D.C. (1989). Common problems and coping strategies: Findings with normal adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 17, 203212.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williamson, J.A., & Campbell, W.P. (1985). Parents and their children comment on adolescence. Adolescence, XX(79), 745748.Google Scholar
World Health Organisation (1994) World health statistics annual.Google Scholar