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Author: Luddy, Jessica, J Title: A Research Proposal to Better Understand Effective Coping Strategies for

Students Transitioning into Blended Families The accompanying research report is submitted to the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Graduate School in partial

completion of the requirements for the

Graduate Degree/ Major: Masters of Science in School Counseling

Research Advisor: Denise Brouillard

Submission Term/Year: Spring, 2013

Number of Pages: 25

Style Manual Used: American Psychological Association, 6th edition

X I understand that this research report must be officially approved by the Graduate School and that an electronic copy of the approved version will be made available through the University Library website X I attest that the research report is my original work (that any copyrightable materials have been used with the permission of the original authors), and as such, it is automatically protected by the laws, rules, and regulations of the U.S. Copyright Office. X My research advisor has approved the content and quality of this paper.

STUDENT:

NAME Jessica J. Luddy DATE: 5/6/2013

ADVISOR: (Committee Chair if MS Plan A or EdS Thesis or Field Project/Problem):

NAME Denise Brouillard DATE: 5/6/2013

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This section for MS Plan A Thesis or EdS Thesis/Field Project papers only Committee members (other than your advisor who is listed in the section above) 1. CMTE MEMBER’S NAME: DATE:

2. CMTE MEMBER’S NAME: DATE:

3. CMTE MEMBER’S NAME: DATE:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This section to be completed by the Graduate School This final research report has been approved by the Graduate School.

Director, Office of Graduate Studies: DATE:

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Luddy, Jessica J. A Research Proposal to Better Understand Effective Coping Strategies for

Students Transitioning into Blended Families

Abstract

Family transitions can cause a great deal of turmoil in a youth’s life. With nontraditional

family structures, including blended families, on the rise in recent years, it is important for

school faculty to become familiar with challenges youth face during a period of family transition,

specifically into a blended family. This literature review will examine challenges youth face

when transition into a blended family specifically including personal, social, and academic

concerns. It will address effective ways school counselors can support students during the

transition time including managing expectations, working with students individually on

resiliency and coping skills, collaborating with other school faculty and creating an accepting

and stable educational environment.

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The Graduate School University of Wisconsin Stout

Menomonie, WI

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I’d like to thank my fiancé Brian for all the support, encouragement,

and chocolate he’s provided throughout this experience. In all my moments of frustration, he

kept me sane and I will always be grateful for that. I’d also like to thank my family and friends

for being there to bounce ideas off of. While they may not understand everything I was talking

about, they were always willing to listen. I’d also like to thank my classmates because without

their support, this semester would have been unbearable.

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Table of Contents

.................................................................................................................................................... Page

Abstract ............................................................................................................................................2

Chapter I: Introduction ....................................................................................................................5

Statement of Exploration .....................................................................................................8

Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................................8

Research Questions ..............................................................................................................8

Definition of Terms..............................................................................................................9

Assumptions and Limitations ............................................................................................10

Chapter II: Literature Review ........................................................................................................11

Challenges Students Face During Family Transition ........................................................11

Physical Transition.............................................................................................................13

The Link Between Academic Success and Blended Families ...........................................13

Support of Students in Transition Through School Collaboration ....................................16

Chapter III: Project Goals and Objectives .....................................................................................19

Summary ............................................................................................................................19

Critical Analysis.................................................................................................................19

Coping Strategies ...............................................................................................................20

Recommendations ..............................................................................................................22

References ......................................................................................................................................23

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Chapter I: Introduction

Family has a major impact on who we are as people, both positively and negatively.

Today, there are many different forms of family structure including traditional families, children

living with both biological parents, and non-traditional families such as single-parent families,

blended families, and cohabitating families. Regardless of what family structure you’re a part of,

it’s been proven that family has a major influence on children when it comes to socialization

skills and can significantly affect a child’s well-being (Milstead & Perkins, 2010).

The most stable family structure is said to be a traditional family. While there are

exceptions to this, families with two parents tend to be both financially and emotionally more

stable than nontraditional families. When a significant change occurs in any type of family

structure, it can have a negative effect on the child’s sense of environment. For example, a

disruption like this could be a single parent family transitioning into a blended family not only is

there a new adult, but possibly new siblings.

Over the years we’ve seen many TV shows demonstrate what a loving traditional family

looks like. However, there is one classic TV show that embraced the blended family: The Brady

Bunch. This show provided a breakthrough for nontraditional families in our society. However,

while this show accepted the concept of two single parents forming one big happy family, the

real life transition isn’t always like the sitcom (Ray, 2005).

Blended families have become more common in our society over the last several years.

The divorce rate is a lot higher now than it was thirty years ago, and while divorce isn’t the only

reason for blended families it is a big contributor. Divorce can be very stressful for some

children. Some children will develop anxiety, depression, or experience sleep disturbances (like

night terrors) usually caused by stress (Milstead & Perkins, 2010). Children might worry about

one parent or be stressed about not seeing a parent as often as they would prefer. This creates a

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major disturbance in what was the child’s home environment, making for a time with a lot of

unknowns.

There are many different areas to consider when studying blended families, including the

new structure of the family, both from an adult perspective and a child perspective. For

example, adults might need to take on more responsibility when bringing new children into the

family. From a child’s perspective, he/she might be nervous about sharing toys or even a room

with a new sibling. While this might not seem like much, in their mind, everything they had

known is now flipped upside down; their safe home environment might not feel as safe as it once

was.

Another area of focus when researching blended families is the transition of merging two

families together; the actual process of taking two families and creating one without losing

special traditions or significant things that make it feel like family to its members. There are

many resources available to help parents and children make the transition as smoothly as

possible. However, not all parents will be able to meet the needs of their children during the

transition. Some parents might not have the time, the means, or simply the energy to get their

child the help he/she may need. Therefore another component can be added to this topic: school.

Children spend the majority of the their day in some form of school setting, whether it’s

public school, private school, or even home school. If something is affecting a child personally

including family transitions and changing family structures, it could easily be transferred into the

school environment. This can be seen in several different forms including: anger towards others,

withdrawing from class, not turning in assignments, or even not coming to school. Teachers,

administrators, school counselors, and other school faculty need to be aware of the impact that

home life can have on students even when they aren’t at home.

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While the focus of many schools is academics first, sometimes school counselors and

teachers need to work with students on home-related issues so that the student can switch focus

from what is happening at home to what is being discussed in the classroom. By examining

coping strategies for students transitioning into blended families, educators can hope to regain

their students’ attention for school-related material.

The work of school counselors is based on three domains: academic, personal/social, and

career. Everything school counselors do is related to at least one of these areas. When working

with a student transitioning into a blended family, the immediate domain of the counselor’s work

is centered around personal/social; however, the end goal is for each student to get the assistance

he/she need and return to the classroom with the ability to function, which relates to the

academic domain (American School Counselor Association, 2005).

The primary focus of school counselors is on the needs of their students; however it

wouldn’t be unheard of for support to also be offered to the family in the form of a referral. In

many situations, it would be unethical for a school counselor to hold a family therapy session. A

more appropriate approach would be to provide the student with some strategies for handling

various situations that arise at home. For example, some students have a hard time talking to

their parents about their feelings. In this case they could write in a journal to express their

feelings and then decide if they wanted to share it with their parent.

Often times, students have no control over transitions that are occurring in their family;

therefore it would be unethical for teachers to hold this against the student. When educators

understand how affected students are by situations outside of school, they can develop a level of

understanding and sympathy for the student and the situation. In some situations, teachers and

other school faculty could develop support and consistency to help the student gain a sense of

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normalcy during a time when a lot is changing. This literature review will provide insight to

ways school counselors and teachers can work together to help students acquire the skills they

need to develop effective coping strategies specifically for transitioning into a blended family.

Statement of Exploration

There is a need for awareness of specific challenges youth face during a time of family

transition. It has already been demonstrated that there are currently youth experiencing life as

part of a blended family, therefore there is a need to better comprehend specific issues that arise

during the transition time. Without this new understanding, the measures to help and assist

youth during this time could be ineffective. There could also be affects from the transitional

period outside of the family, such as a youth’s grade point average (GPA) or grades. Whatever

the issues may be, a better understanding will lead to better support for the youth before, during,

and after the transition.

Purpose of the Study

Over the course of this semester, the research goal is to examine challenges youth face

when transitioning into a blended family, both at school and at home. It will also address

effective ways school counselors can help students with the family transition. Once effective

coping strategies have been established, methods school counselors can use to collaborate with

other school faculty will also be considered in the best interest of supporting the student. This

will be achieved through literature reviews of previous research pertaining to the topics of family

transitions and blended families.

Research Questions

The following questions will be answered by examining previous research relating to

family transitions and coping strategies within an educational setting:

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1. What challenges do youth face during family transitions?

2. Is there a connection between blended families and student academic success?

3. How can school faculty help? What ways can school faculty collaborate with one

other to support a student during family transition?

Definition of Terms

For clarity of understanding, the following terms are defined.

Academic success. A student reaching his/her highest potential and/or educational goals

of pursing post-secondary success.

Blended family. A family system where a child/children reside with one biological

parent and another parent not related by blood, but by marriage.

Coping Strategy. A behavior/action that helps someone function better in a given

situation/environment.

Family. “A group of two people or more related by birth, marriage, or adoption and

residing together” (United States Census Bureau, 2004).

Nontraditional family. Any family structure that does not fit under traditional family;

including single parent family and blended family.

Single parent family. A family system where only one parent is present.

Stepfamily. A family system that is “created by a remarriage into which one or both

spouses bring at least one child from a previous marriage” (Berger, 1995).

Stepsiblings. Siblings who are joined together through the marriage of one of their

biological parents and another adult with children.

Traditional family. A family system where the child/children reside with both

biological parents in the same house (Milstead & Perkins, 2010).

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Transition. When significant change occurs.

Youth. An individual under the age of 18.

Assumptions and Limitations of the Study

This study is limited by the research articles that are currently available. Secondly, this

topic doesn’t specifically focus on different grade levels or ages of the children. Quite possibly

there could be significant differences in coping strategies between elementary, middle and high

school age youth.

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Chapter II: Literature Review

This chapter delves into specific challenges faced by youth during a familial transition

period. This literature review will explore the emotional experiences reported by children during

family transition, the physical change of moving and also relationships with peers. This

literature review will also address academic success rates of students from blended families, and

therefore demonstrating the importance of school-based support for these students. Lastly,

school faculty collaboration will also be reviewed. This section will include teacher’s attitudes

towards students from blended families and some simple ways to create a supportive classroom

environment.

Challenges Students Face During Family Transitions

It is important to remember that each family situation is different. Families vary on their

approach to changes and transitions; some parents are very open with their children about what

to expect and therefore these youth might be supported enough at home and not need extra

support from other sources. But not all families are like this. Some youth feel angry, sad,

confused, and even shocked when it comes to family transitions. These individuals are the

primary focus of this research; youth who experience challenges and could potentially benefit

from support outside the family environment.

One challenge youth can face during a major family transition is unfamiliar feelings.

One way emotions can get the best of youth is when they have unrealistic expectations of what

life will be like after the transition, for example having an instant friendship with their new

stepsibling (Visher, 1994). If the expectation doesn’t occur as quickly as they hoped, it can

cause a variety unfamiliar and even unpleasant moods including stress.

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Even in youth, stress can have a major impact on a person’s well-being. In some cases, if

stress isn’t managed properly it can lead to more serious psychological symptoms including

depression (Moksnes, Byrne, Mazanov, & Espnes, 2010). Depression is be a serious

psychological illness, therefore making emotional stability and coping one of the biggest

challenges youth face during a family transition.

Adjustment could also be considered a challenge youth face when transitioning into a

blended family. There is no question that this is a time where youth make a lot of adjustments to

what was their everyday life. In a study done by Doyle, Wolchik, & Dawson-McClure (2002)

research showed that youth who have a healthy relationship with their stepparent/stepfamily are

more likely to adjust to the transition better. However the same study also revealed that negative

interactions within a blended family can be predictive of individual maladjustment (Doyle,

Wolchik, & Dawson-McClure, 2002). This evidence displays the importance of healthy

relationships and adjustment throughout family structures and how it can turn into a challenge

for youth if not reached.

Basic human needs can sometimes go unmet during a time of extreme change, which is

why this is included as a possible challenge faced by youth. Basic human needs include: the

feeling of being accepted, the feeling of belonging and the feeling of having autonomy and

control (Visher, 1994). These needs are all typically reached in a stable relationship or family.

However, during a time of change or transition, the aspects that were originally meeting these

needs may not be enough or even present anymore. While the new blended family structure

develops, it is possible for some of these needs to go unmet. Some of these needs can be met in

other ways and from other areas of life such as school, it is important for a blended family to

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work together to create a new dynamic where these needs can once again be met for each

member.

Physical Transitions

While mood and adjustment might be the most prominent challenges faced by youth,

there are also social and physical challenges that can correspond with family transitions. Often

times, part of the transition into a blended family consist of moving. This encompasses a variety

of situations, including: moving into a completely new house, moving into a stepparent’s house,

or a stepparent moving into the youth’s original house. Regardless of the situation, it is a time

where the youth’s physical environment is impacted.

There are also challenges associated to moving. For instance, moving can lead to the

child transferring to a different school district. Leaving friends behind and starting over at a new

school can be scary, stressful and overwhelming (Milstead & Perkins 2010). However, some

relief can be found if there are stepsiblings that go to the new school. This allows the student to

already know someone at their new school, even if they’re not best friends with their stepsibling.

Other challenges from moving include having to share a room with a sibling. This may

appear as something small, but can have a big impact on youth. A child’s room can be very

personal. They may hang posters up, paint the walls and arrange their own future, but these are

all surface things. You often use their rooms for privacy; a place to work on school work, listen

to music or watch TV, read, and/or spend time with friends. Imagine doing those things while

your stepsibling is also in the room. From a youth’s perspective, this can be the most stressful

and frustrating part of transitioning into a blended family (Milstead & Perkins, 2010).

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The Link Between Academic Success and Blended Families

With the increase of nontraditional families on the rise, educators have started to examine

the effects of a transitioning family on the student’s ability to perform academically. While

school and home are clearly two different areas of a child’s life, when experiencing high stress

levels, major family transitions can easily affect other aspects of life such as school. There are a

couple common results from situations like this including academic difficulties. This section

will break down what kind of impact a significant family transition has on a student’s academic

performance.

A study looked specifically at eighth grade reading and math scores. The researcher

established between a variety of family structures including single parent and stepfamilies, both

of which are considered to be nontraditional. Through comparison of scores in multiple schools,

it was determined that students from a nontraditional family structure were more likely to

perform at a lower level when compared to students from a traditional family structure (Pong,

1997).

This data is somewhat surprising; however there is a major limitation to it. The

researcher did not distinguish between students from blended families and students from single

parent families; rather one large group was formed containing all family structures that could be

considered nontraditional. While it would be interesting to conduct the study again with specific

modifications, it is hard to ignore the fact that there is a significant difference between the two

family structures, traditional and nontraditional. Even with its limitations, Pong (1997)

demonstrated that there is a need for more assistance for youth in this family structure.

There are many factors that contribute to academic success, one of which being

hyperactivity. Hyperactivity is defined in the DSM-IV (2000) as fidgeting with hands or feet,

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talking excessively, leaving their seat frequently (especially during times when it’s expected to

stay seated) and/or feelings of restlessness. In order to be diagnosed with hyperactivity someone

fits the previous descriptions and has a persistent pattern of inattention and impulsivity in

multiple settings over a long period of time. Students who exhibit less hyperactivity are typically

able to be more focused during school, leading to the assumption that students with lower

hyperactivity have higher academic success. A study looking at students from various family

structures, and the level of hyperactivity expressed by students showed that students from

nontraditional families, including blended families, were reported as being slightly more

hyperactive than students from intact families (Kerr & Michalski, 2007).

There are many possible causes for the increased level of hyperactivity. In some cases,

students might feel more anxious than normal because of their current family situation. Often

times, anxiety can be expressed or displayed in some forms of hyperactivity including behaviors

that could be seen as disruptive, especially in a school environment. While these findings are

interesting, it’s important to note that by no means are Ker and Michalski (2007) stating that all

children from nontraditional families have hyperactive behavior.

From the two studies examined, one thing is clear: family structure can impact several

areas of a child’s life, including academic success. While this speaks mostly in general terms, it

is important for educators to know that there are exceptions. Therefore, teachers should never

assume that since a student comes from a blended family, he/she will either have lower reading

or math scores or will display hyperactive behavior. This should be a challenge to teachers to

bring out the best in these students when others may be expecting the worst. School counselors

can play a role in this by advocating for these students when necessary and by always

encouraging students to do their best.

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However there is some good news with the relationship between academic success and

family transition. In a study conducted by Song, Benin and Glick (2012) the researchers used the

high school dropout rate to determine if family structure has an impact on high school youth.

The high school dropout rate can be included with academic success since students who dropout

haven’t met the requirements for a high school diploma (usually the catchall of academic success

is the final product, which in this case is the high school diploma).

After examining dropout rates and matching family structure, it was determined that high

school youth is not negatively affected by their parents marrying, remarrying, or starting a

cohabiting relationship. Therefore, it could be inferred that transitioning into a blended family

would most likely not impact a student’s academic success significantly enough for them to drop

out of school. However, youth with families that are in an opposite transition, such as separation

or divorce, can experience negative impacts in education.

Support of Students in Transition Through School Collaboration

At the beginning of a new school year, it’s typical for students to need help transitioning

to a new classroom with a new teacher and new classmates. This is also true when a child is

transitioning into a blended family with a new parent and perhaps new siblings (Ray, 2005).

There are many resources a school counselor can use to help a student with a family transition.

Teachers play a key role in this area. Teachers have the ability to support a student throughout

the entire day, whereas the school counselor may only have the chance to meet with them for

twenty minutes. Therefore, by collaborating with the classroom teacher, the school counselor

can be both efficient and effective in getting the student the support they need.

Communication within the classroom is one way for teachers to show acceptance towards

students who come from nontraditional families. This is seen in the classroom language a

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teacher uses. For example, teachers who hold a traditional view of family may tell their class to

have mom and dad sign your permission slip. One way to convey a similar message but in a

more inclusive way would be to change “mom and dad” to a less specific term like parent/s or

guardian/s. Julie Ray took this idea one step further and encourage teachers to “use the term

‘family’ rather than ‘parents’” because it shows even more sensitivity and inclusion (2005, p 75).

This concept might seem easy at first, but it takes effort for teachers to consciously be aware of

the language being used in their classrooms.

There is another way teachers, and even school counselors, can use communication when

working with a blended family; communicating with the family itself. When doing so, the

teacher should make an effort to contact all family members currently playing a role in the

student’s life (Ray, 2005). For example, if the student’s biological parents are divorced and have

joint custody, it is important for both parents to be informed about upcoming events at school. If

one of those parents has remarried, depending on the situation, it might also be acceptable to

contact the step parent too. This demonstrates that the school is being supportive of the

student/family regardless of being a nontraditional family.

Small changes to classroom curriculum can be another way teachers demonstrate

acceptance of nontraditional families. These can be rather minor changes, but very effective all

the same. In elementary schools, there can often be projects involving family origins or creating

a family tree. While these projects are interesting, it’s important for teachers to realize that they

can also be difficult for youth living in blended families to complete (Ray, 2005). If teachers

choose to assign this type of project, it would be important to take that opportunity to discuss

different types of family structures, and while they may be different, one isn’t better than another

one.

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Lastly, educators need to be aware of personal attitudes they hold. This goes for many

topics above and beyond family; however those who strongly believe in traditional families

might find it difficult to be supportive of a student coping with the transition. While it is not the

job of school counselors to change the beliefs of others, it is important to work with teachers to

create an accepting classroom environment. Therefore in this situation, the focus would shift off

of the student’s family transition and to their school work. School counselors could encourage

the teacher to engage their student in school work as much as possible, and allow the student

time to see the counselor when he/she need to talk about family.

School collaboration is a great way to rally support for students from all different areas

of the school. Effective school counselors will use this to their advantage. They can also take

this opportunity to educate the staff about topics that are currently affecting their students, such

as transitioning into a blended family. As society changes, educators need to stay up to date.

Ray said it best: “perhaps it is time for teachers to stop looking at families as ‘traditional’ or

‘nontraditional’. Today’s families are richly ‘diverse’ and teachers must work hard to meet the

needs of all children from all family types” (2005, p. 76). By taking out the prejudice and

stereotypes, the school environment becomes more accepting of all students and in return

students are able to function to their fullest potential (Luk-Fong, 2006).

One last area of collaboration would be working with parents or other family members.

In some cases, parents might even refer their child to the school counselor during a time like this.

This is a great opportunity for school counselors to gather some information from the parents.

Depending on who the other members of the new blended family are, for example if they are also

students at the school, the counselor could pull together everyone for a check in and see how the

family environment was going and offer support to anyone who may want/need it.

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Chapter III: Project Goals and Objectives

Youth today face many transition periods in their life, and additionally, some experience

family transitions as well. The goal for this paper is to examine effective ways of helping youth

transition into blended families. There are many effective ways for school faculty to support

students with family transitions in that school setting.

Summary

From the research provided in Chapter II, it’s clear that youth can experience major

challenges during a time of family transition. Emotions can run high, adjusting to new

surroundings, new siblings, and in some cases even new friends can be a lot to handle in a short

amount of time. It’s easy for academics to get pushed aside during this time, and youth can feel

generally unheard and/or unsupported when transitioning into a blended family. However,

research proves that experiencing school in a positive way can act as a buffer against a stressful

home life (Rodgers & Rose, 2002). Therefore creating a positive, stable and accepting school

atmosphere could be very beneficial to you in transition.

Through collaboration, school faculty can work together and even with the parents to

create a stable environment for the student both at school and at home. Teachers and school

counselors can work together to make sure the needs of the student are being met. This isn’t

limited to academic needs; school counselors are also able to work with students on personal and

social issues. This could be very beneficial for the student who not only moved to a different

district but also transitioned into a blended family.

Critical Analysis

By using the research discussed in Chapter II, the critical analysis can address specific

coping strategies to use when working with students transitioning into blended families. Many

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of these strategies could take place in the school counselor’s office or in the classroom. It’s

important to consider each step of the transition: before the transition occurs, during the

transition (for example if the family is physically moving into a house together), and after.

Therefore strategies for each step will be considered in this section.

Coping Strategies

Whenever youth experience a transition period, big or small, it’s important to provide

strategies to help them work through it. For example, when preparing students to transition from

middle school to high school, school counselors work their magic to best inform students of what

to expect and settle any nerves that exist. So why would a student transitioning into a blended

family be any different. School counselors are expected to provide services to all students for a

wide variety of topics, family transitions being one of them (American School Counselor

Association, 2005).

For some youth, the time leading up to the family transition might be the most

challenging. If the school counselor is aware of this information prior to the transition it could

be an opening to start offering services to the student. By taking time to meet with the student

prior to the transition, a school counselor can help by answering some general questions and

preparing the student for what to expect. This is vital in helping avoid unrealistic expectations

that could result in unnecessary stress (Visher, 1994).

While this is a very idealistic approach, not all school counselors know ahead of time

when a student is facing a major family transition. In some situations, the student is referred to

the counseling office by a teacher and through their first session, the counselor discovers family

transition at the root of their issue. In that situation, it would be valuable for the counselor to

work with the student on coping strategies to handle the actively changing family structure. One

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way of achieving this would be helping students develop resiliency skills. Resilience can be

defined as “the process of, capacity for or outcome of successful adaption despite challenging or

threatening circumstances” (Masten, Best, & Garmezy, 1991, p.426).

Youth who hold high resiliency skills are better able to adapt to changing surroundings,

including major family transitions (Greefe and Du Toit, 2009). Professionals can use these

skills to prevent stress stemming from fear of the unknown and/or feeling out of control. This

can prevent more serious issues like anxiety or depression from forming. As mentioned in

Chapter II, depression can be a serious issue for youth; therefore using preventative measures

such as teaching resilience can potentially be significant to a youth’s well-being.

The weeks and months after transitioning into a blended family could be the most crucial.

For youth who move into a new district, the school counselor can work with them to welcome

them into the school. This could include a tour of the school, introducing them to their teachers,

and even pairing the new student up with a peer for the first couple weeks of school until they

adjust. These are all strategies that would work toward meeting the student’s basic needs

including being accepted, feeling of belonging, and attaining autonomy within the school

environment (Visher, 1994).

In some situations, it might be most effective for the school counselor to collaborate with

a teacher who holds accepting attitudes towards different family structures. This could be the

youth’s core teacher or a teacher the student may already has a bond with. In general, teachers

care about their students both in the classroom and outside the classroom (Ray, 2005). Many

teachers are willing to support, listen and talk with their students during a time such as family

transition.

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With the rate of nontraditional families on the rise, it is important for school faculty,

including school counselor to understand the needs of the students affected by family transitions.

School counselors are responsible for providing services to all students within their school, as-

well-as creating an accepting school environment (Milstead & Perkins, 2010). Through

individual meetings, parent collaboration, teacher collaboration and classroom guidance lessons,

school counselors can meet the needs of students transitioning into a blended family structure.

By incorporating a classroom teacher into the mix, it widens the support circle for the youth. In

addition to the school counselor, the student has another resource to turn to if needed. This can

be an effective coping strategy to rally support for youth in different areas of a school setting.

Recommendations

Recommendations for future studies on the topic of family transition include using

research that focuses on specific age groups. While conducting this literature review, most

current research doesn’t differentiate between age groups and beneficial coping strategies. For

example, what might be successful with elementary aged youth could be lacking to meet the

needs of high school youth. Finding strategies for each grade level could be very beneficial to

our youth in the future and should be considered for further research.

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References

American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders

(4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC: Author.

American School Counselor Association (2005). The ASCA national model: A framework for

school counseling programs, (Second Edition). Alexandria, VA: Author.

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