Bruce dykeman

"Divorce is extremely stressful, but we usually regard stress as an adult problem. Children of divorce also experience high levels of stress, but lack the coping skills and impunities adults depend on" (Newman and Romanowski 6). .
             One solution to this problem is a prevention program. A program designed not targeted at only children of broken homes, but children with different problems and experiences in general and a way to help them get through their time of suffering. "In the I CAN DO program (Identify the problem; what choices are available to deal with the problem; pay attention to the information and consequences; narrow the choices down to one; do it; and observe the outcome), children are trained to use a sequence of problem-solving skills when faced with a social problem: problem identification, generation of alternative solutions, consideration of the consequences of those solutions, and choosing the best solution. Mainly, children are taught coping skills. The program includes role-playing, videotapes, and small-group discussion. Children learn how to practice these skills in relation to the five stressful life events/experiences that occur to a significant number of children: (a) parental separation/divorce, (b) loss of a loved one, (c) move to a new home/school, (d) spending significant amounts of time in situation without adult supervision (self-care), and (e) feeling "different"- ethnically, physically, and so forth. The program was intended to be a type of preparation for children to cope with various stressors and how they might be helpful to peers who currently were experiencing stressful situations. Two clinical-psychology graduate students led each session, during the program" (Dubow et al. 428-431). By conducting the program in this manner, children of divorce programs are taught every one faces some type of dramatic problem and ways to help them adjust through the divorce.