Psychoeducational groups to promote effective coping in school-age children living in violent communities

Children living in violent communities may experience chronic stress, which may place them at risk to develop mental health problems. Children who learn to cope effectively with stress develop protective mechanisms that promote and enhance mental health. The use of psychoeducational groups to promote and enhance effective coping in children who live in communities with chronic violence has not received much attention in the professional literature. This paper discusses the process of conducting community-based psychoeducational groups with two groups of children aged 6 to 8 years and 9 to 12 years in a community "safe house." Strategies to promote and enhance coping in the areas of safety, self-esteem/self-understanding, and power and competence in children are discussed. An informal evaluation and recommendations for the use of psychoeducational groups as a community-based intervention are presented.