The Perceptions of 14-15-Year-Old Pupils Concerning Stress: A Pilot Study

As a result of a request by a doctor who gives talks on health education to schools, two questionnaires were designed to draw out the general perceptions of his listeners on ‘Stress’. Responses from schools where very different teaching styles predominate were compared, and where possible the answers were codified and numerically analyzed. Qualitative conclusions were also drawn. The indefinite nature of the information which was elicited does not detract from the force of the overall outcome — that teenagers want to be able to cope with the stress they experience surrounding them, but ‘nobody listens’ to them. The overwhelming impression grew that they feel, in general, ‘got at’ and ‘put down’ at school and at home alike. Their perceptions of stress include that within themselves and in their friends and parents. The potential for expanding group work amongst teenagers appears to be very great, and the need for it urgent.