COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY

CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Stress is defined as a person's psychological and physiological response to the

perception of a demand or challenge. Students are most frequently affected by stress due

to their academic and personal life. Students face various challenges, difficulties and a

whole lot of pressure in today's competitive world. Students get to be trained in handling

stress and should get out from it. Stress is the process by which an individual or a person

reacts when opened to external or internal problems and challenges. "the organism

processes numerous systems to coordinate such adaptive responses both at systematic and

cellular levels "by this, stress has direct effect on the brain and the whole anatomy of the

body as such failure to adapt to a stressful condition can result in brain malfunction,

physiological problem and also many areas of psychological challenges in the form of

depression, anxiety, pain and burnout.

Physiologically, stress-related diseases in the form of reproduction,

cardiovascular, metabolism and gastrointestinal diseases are determined by great areas of

genetic and developmental factors which are different from a person to a person but also

symptoms of this disease may be similar sometimes among individuals. Stress is a

physical word which refers to the amount of force used on an object and it relates in real

life as to how certain issues that carry force applied to human life.
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Some of the pressure or force originate from the environment but most often

comes from within a person's head in the form of worry, anxiety, regret, discouragement

and low confidence. Therefore, stress is basically force applied to a person and may result

in a strain which is as a result of an unmanaged stress that is when a person is not able to

handle a challenge or problem encountered strain result. To some people, the effect is

minimal which means they are able to endure pressure while in others the effect is

enormous and have an adverse effect.

Stress is explained as "An uncertain reaction to external and internal factors" that

means a negative or positive reaction to environmental stimuli. In this regard, it is how

the totality of your body relate to changes and unfamiliar situations that present itself in

the course of time. During such a period, vital organs such as sexual organs, heart rate,

blood pressure, stroke volume, respiratory rate in the body react speedily (Wheeler,

2007).

It is in this matter that this study titled “Stress Management of Criminology

Students of Northeastern College School Year 2019 - 2020” came to be, to know if how

criminology students are able to manage the stress that they encounter in their scholastic

works.

Conceptual Framework

A questionnaire will be distributed as to make an assessment of the stressors and

stress management techniques of the respondents. From the first part were the profile of

the respondents will be gathered to the second part that discusses in detail and asks the
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respondents on their different preferences regarding their stress management techniques

on different maters. From the assessment made thru the questionnaires distributed to the

respondents a conclusion will be made and the results tabulated to lay the different facts

collected based on the questionnaires answered by the respondents.

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Input Process Output

Profile of
criminology
students in terms of
their:

-age

-gender

-year level Less Stressful

Assessment of stress environment for
Common effects of management of
stress studying for the
students through
questionnaires. criminology
Stressors and Stress students of
management Northeastern
techniques of College
students

FEEDBACK

Fig. 1. Paradigm of the Study

IPO Diagram (Input-Process-Output)

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Statement of the Problem

This study aims to assess the stress management of Criminology Students of the

Northeastern College School Year 2019 - 2020.

Specifically it aims to answer to the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the criminology students in terms of:

1.1. Age

1.2. Gender

1.3. Year Level

2. What are the common effects of stress?

3. What is the perception of the respondents in relation to the stressors and their

stress management techniques?

Significance of the Study

This study is mainly focused in determining and laying down in a factual manner

the stress management of Criminology Students of the Northeastern College.

To the Faculty and Administrators of the school. It is important to them to

know what most of the students do in their learning process and what stress most of them

experience from their academic activities to prepare more engaging activities so as to

encourage the students to learn and enjoy their stay and their learning time at the school.

For the criminology students. This study would be very helpful in such a way

that they would be able to know and determine what are the best stress management

techniques they could apply for their academic endeavors.

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For future researchers. Who needs to find good research materials as a basis for

their own studies because this study would be a good reference material in their future

researches about the subject discussed in this study.

Scope and Delimitation

This study main focus is on the Stress Management Techniques of Criminology

Students of the Northeastern College school year 2019 - 2020.

This study would only talk about the perception of the respondents on the stress

they experience and how they are able to manage them. The respondents of the research

will be Criminology Students currently enrolled in the Criminology Department of the

Northeastern College school year 2019 – 2020.

Definition of Terms

Assessment – evaluation: a judgment about something based on the understanding of the

situation (Encarta, 2011)

Impact - the effect or influence of one person, thing, or action, on another. (Thesaurus,

2010)

Profile – data describing something: A set of data, usually in graph or table form, that

indicates the extent to which something matches tested or standard characteristics

(Encarta, 2011)

Relaxation – the state of being from tension and anxiety (Encarta, 2011)

Stressor – something that causes a state of strain or tension (Thesaurus, 2010)

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Stress Management - is a wide spectrum of techniques and psychotherapies aimed at

controlling a person's level of stress, especially chronic stress, usually for the purpose of

and for the motive of improving everyday functioning. (Webster’s Dictionary, 2010)

Student – person studying: somebody who is studying at a school, college or university

(Thesaurus, 2010)
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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Related Literature

Foreign Literature

The Impact of Stress on College Students

College students are also reporting feeling greatly concerned and stressed about

the state of the nation’s economy and how it is impacting them. For the second year in a

row, mtvU (MTV’s 24-hour college network) and the Jed Foundation (the nation’s

leading organization working to reduce emotional distress and prevent suicide among

college students) partnered with The Associated Press and conducted a poll to explore the

emotional health of today’s college students. The poll was conducted between April 22-

May 4, 2009 and included interviews with 2,240 college students at 40 randomly selected

four-year postsecondary institutions.

Overall results of the poll indicate that the impact of stress can be seen across all

areas of students’ lives - affecting them both academically and socially. Specifically, 85%

of students reported experiencing stress on a daily basis (up from 80% last year). For

example, according to the poll, more than half (63%) of college seniors are worried that

they may not be able to secure employment after graduation. In addition, nearly one in

three (32%) college students reported financial pressures as being a big source of daily

stress for them. This figure indicates a 27% increase from last year. Specifically, 48% of

students reported that they are somewhat/very worried about having enough money to
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pay for school next year. Moreover, almost one in five students (18%) reported having a

parent who experienced job loss since the beginning of the year. Alarmingly, 17% of

students considered dropping out of school in the past three months - citing financial

pressure as being the primary cause (MTVu, 2009). In addition, credit card debt among

undergraduate college students is becoming a problem nationwide (Adams & Moore,

2007). High levels of debt are stressful, thus compounding student’s stress levels

(Adams, & Moore, 2007).

Studies have shown that when stress becomes excessive, it can affect both health

and academic performance (Campbell, Svenson & Jarvis, 1992). It appears that findings

from the poll give substantial evidence in support of this research. Indeed, the findings

indicate that, despite the larger national issues, academic concerns such as school work

and grades (77% and 74%, respectively) maintain top positions as being responsible for

students’ stress (MTVu, 2009).

In addition, it appears that many students are struggling with mental health issues

related to their stress. A total of 1 out of 10 students reported signs of moderate to severe

depression. Moreover, 6 out of 10 students reported having felt so stressed that they could

not get their work done on one or more occasions (41% once or twice, 19% several

times). Furthermore, the poll revealed that 53% of students reported feeling so stressed

that they did not want to hang out with their friends on one or more occasions (MTV,

2009).

Alarmingly, 17% of students reported that their friends have talked about wanting

to end their lives. In addition, 10% reported having a friend who had made a suicide
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attempt, and seven percent reported that they had seriously thought about ending their

own lives in the past year. Moreover, 11% of students reported having had thoughts that

they would be better off dead, or hurting themselves in some way. It was interesting to

note that only about half (48%) of the students reported being familiar with counseling

resources available on their campus and among students reporting signs of moderate to

severe depression, 47% stated that they were not familiar with the counseling resources

available on their campuses (MTVu, 2009). Clearly, results of the poll appear to indicate

that there is a resource-disconnect for those students that need it the most.

The Utility of Stress Management and Biofeedback Modalities

It has been suggested that stress management is the ability to reduce or cope with

stressors by controlling frequency, intensity, and duration of the stress reaction to

decrease unhealthy conditions (Girdano, Everly & Dusek, 1997). In the broadest sense,

stress management may include any type of stress intervention; however, it may also

include a narrow set of individual-level interventions such as relaxation training,

meditation, or biofeedback (Murphy, 1995). Biofeedback is a modality which provides

immediate information, or feedback, regarding specific physical states of the body, such

as electrical activity of muscle and skin temperature (Davis, Eshelman & McKay, 1994).

Indeed, biofeedback has been identified as an effective tool to directly modify the stress

response (Everly & Lating, 2000).

Although biofeedback and relaxation training have been shown to be effective

ways to manage stress in the general population (Moss, 2001), there is little research

investigating the use of biofeedback and relaxation training with college students. Hence,
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the purpose of this study was to determine whether biofeedback and relaxation skills

training is a helpful tool that students can utilize to help them reduce physiological

tension.

In this review, a discussion on the origins and development of research

concerning stress is presented and followed by a historical overview regarding the origins

and development of the field of biofeedback. The empirical literature regarding the uses

and effectiveness of biofeedback training in relieving stress and maintaining health will

be presented as well as research pertaining to the effectiveness of relaxation techniques in

producing a state of relaxation. A description of eight specific relaxation techniques and

their role in reducing various stress-related symptoms will follow. In addition, empirical

literature regarding the impact of stress of college students will be reviewed, including

types of stressors they experience, various stress-related symptoms, and common coping

strategies utilized by college students to alleviate their stress.

The Origins and Development of Research Relating to Stress

Many early researchers made significant contributions to the study of stress.

Examples of such contributions include identification of the natural causes and results of

the innate stress response or fight-or-flight response, the concept of physiological balance

or homeostasis, the finite nature of the body’s capacity to utilize adaptation energy, the

principle of voluntary control over physiological responses to stress, and the development

of an electrical apparatus designed to measure muscle tonus.

The Pioneering Researchers in the Field of Stress

Pioneering researchers in the field of stress were, among others, Claude Bernard,
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Walter A. Cannon, Edmund Jacobson, and Hans Selye. The efforts of these pioneers laid

the foundation for later researchers to build upon, resulting in a more comprehensive

understanding of the role of stress today. Indeed, these original researchers into the field

of stress paved the way for later researchers to more completely identify the components

of stress and its various functions in producing distress and causing illness.

Related Studies

Foreign Studies

Claude Bernard. In 1929 Claude Bernard developed the concept of physiological

homeostasis (Selye, 1974). The word is derived from the Greek homoios meaning

similar, and stasis meaning position, thus, the ability to stay the same or static. According

to Bernard, homeostasis is a state of equilibrium and is the major process by which the

body maintains itself including taking care of processes such as digestion, and tissue

repair, for example. Homeostasis is believed to be maintained by a negative feedback

loop, which is a hypothesized mechanism within the body that provides information to

the physiological system to decrease activity if its functioning levels are higher than

normal, or to increase activity if levels are below normal. The occurrence of physical and

mental disease was thought to occur due to malfunctioning of some part of the

homeostatic feedback mechanism. One of the major effects of homeostatic imbalance is

stress (Schwartz & Olson, 2003).

Walter Cannon. In 1932 Walter Cannon published his book, The Wisdom of the

Body, in which he presented the concept of the natural causes and results of the innate
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stress response, which he named fight or flight. The fight or flight response is the body’s

psychophysiological arousal and preparation for fighting or fleeing actual or perceived

threatening stimuli. The response is initiated and coordinated by the autonomic, or

involuntary nervous system, and the endocrine system. These systems direct specific

changes in how the body is functioning, in order to prepare the body to deal with the

threat and get the body out of danger quickly, in order to return the body to its previous

state.

Edmund Jacobson. In the United States, investigations into the principle of

voluntary control over physiological responses began as early as the 1920’s and 1930’s

and was pioneered by Edmund Jacobson who developed a device employing low micro

voltage to detect muscle tension. Jacobson discovered that tension and exertion was

accompanied by a shortening of the muscular fibers, and that reducing muscular tension

decreased the activity of the central nervous system (Jacobson, 1933). His apparatus

made the first accurate electrical measurement of muscular tonus. Later, during the

1960’s, John Basmajian began exploring voluntary control over the skeletal muscles

using needle and surface electrodes with oscilloscope and audio feedback. He

demonstrated that individuals could develop control of single motor units of a muscle

within a brief time, given feedback for discrimination (Basmajian, 1967).

Jacobson also developed a technique named progressive relaxation to reduce

muscular tension. He was also able to prove the connection between excessive muscular

tension and various disorders of mind and body. After twenty years of research he

established that relaxation was contrary to the state of tension and would, therefore, be
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beneficial in promoting reduction of physiological tension and thus promote a healthier

state (Jacobson, 1938).

Hans Selye. Through his research with laboratory animals in the 1930’s, the

endocrinologist Hans Selye was able to identify physiological responses associated with

exposure to cold, muscular effort, and other stressors. Indeed, Selye’s research

contributed greatly to the understanding of stress and its physiological impact on the

body. For example, Selye noted that the laboratory animals were not able to resist

exposure to stressors indefinitely. Lengthy or indefinite exposure to stressors eventually

led to exhaustion. The significance of this led Selye to conclude that the body’s

adaptability, or capacity to utilize adaptation energy, was finite (Selye, 1974).

In his book Stress without Distress (1974), Selye presents the biological stress

syndrome, also known as the general adaptation syndrome (G.A.S.). According to Selye,

the G.A.S. is a triphasic conceptualization of the course of the physiological stress

response. The three stages are (a) alarm reaction, (b) stage of resistance and, (c) stage of

exhaustion. Once the alarm reaction occurs the body begins to adapt and begin to resist.

The length of the resistance period depends upon two things (a) the body’s innate

adaptability, and (b) the intensity of the stressor. However, over time, the energy utilized

during the stage of resistance becomes depleted and the stage of exhaustion occurs

(Selye, 1974).
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Local Studies

Salvacion (2004) studied the stress profile of students in the College of Dentistry

of the University of the Philippines, Manila. The study involved 149 dentistry student-

respondents. Academic stressors like examinations and grades, fully loaded days,

difficulty in completing clinical requirements, and fear of getting delayed topped the

identified stressors. Academic factors were stressful in the first 3 year levels. Academic

stress peaked during the sophomore year. No significant differences in rankings were

observed between genders. There was undeniable similarity in the general stress profile

of the different year levels. Common methods of coping with stress were employed by

students which include crying, praying, talking, watching movies, and listening to music.

Stress makes or breaks a person. It is like a two-edged sword which can either motivate

and stimulate a student to peak performance or reduce the student to ineffectiveness.

Duque (2007) cited common effects of stress. These are insomnia, headaches,

backaches, constipation, diarrhea, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression and

alcohol, tobacco or drug use. He suggested doing the following: 1) After seeing the

doctor, share your treatment plan with people close to you. Talk with friends and relatives

and explain what you are going through; 2) If your doctor prescribes medication take it

exactly the way it is prescribed. Do not stop taking your medication until you doctor tells

you to stop doing so; 3) Keep all follow-up appointments with your doctor; 4) Remember

that it may take some time to start feeling better; 5) If you experience side effects from

any medication, tell your doctor; and 6) Seek professional counseling. If your methods of

coping with stress are not contributing to your greater emotional and physical health, it is
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time to find healthier ones. There are many healthy ways to manage and cope with stress,

but they all require change. You can either change the situation or change your reaction.

When deciding which option to choose, it is helpful to think of the four A’s: avoid, alter,

adapt, or accept. Since everyone has a unique response to stress, there is no “one size fits

all” solution to managing it. No single method works for everyone or in every situation,

so experiment with different techniques and strategies. Focus on what makes you feel

calm and in control.

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CHAPTER III

RESEACRH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the design of the study. It expounds in detail the research

methods used, data gathering procedures observed in the investigation, description of the

subjects and research instruments and the statistical measures utilized in the presentation,

analysis and the interpretation of the data.

Research Design

This study will use the descriptive method of research. The design seemed

appropriate since the purpose of this inquiry was to describe and analyze the stress

management of the Criminology Students of the Northeastern College in Santiago City

school year 2019 - 2020.

Descriptive research concerns the present situation, the prevailing conditions,

current practices, contemporary events, the characteristics of groups or individuals, the

patterns of their behavior, attitudes or opinions. Since the design deals with what

information is to be gathered data becomes easy. Data collected through this research

method may result in a proposed program or in development of an instrument of research.

Respondents of the Study

The inquiry will involve the Criminology Students of Northeastern College during

the school year 2019 - 2020. The groups of respondents will be selected through random

purposive sampling strategy.

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Locale of the study

The study will be conducted on the campus of Northeastern College located at

Villasis, Santiago City, during school year 2019 – 2020.

Data Gathering Tool

The researchers will use a survey questionnaire in gathering the data needed in the

specific problems of the study. The said instrument is composed of two parts: Students

demographic data and their stress management techniques.

The students’ demographic data includes the following information which the

respondents were required to provide gender, age, and year level.

The second part of the questionnaire is the students stress management techniques

and their degree of their preference to a particular behavior or characteristics on their

stress management.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers to be able to gather the data needed for the study will secure a

permission letter from the Dean of the College of Criminology of Northeastern College to

conduct a survey among Students of the Criminology Department of Northeastern

College school year 2019 - 2020.

The researcher will distribute personally the questionnaires to the Criminology

Students of Northeastern College and explained to them the objective of the research

study as well as regarding the questionnaire.

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The result of the survey will be summarized by the researcher by tallying and

tabulating the responses of the participants regarding the questionnaire.

The researcher will also make an observation of the stress management of the

respondents inside and outside the classroom.

Statistical Tools

The researcher will use statistical measures to properly conduct a scientific

presentation, analysis and interpretation of data gathered, frequency and percentage count

will be used. Stated below is the formula for frequency and percentage count:

P = _________ * 100

Where:

P = Percentage

f = frequency

N = total number of respondents

100 = constant for percentage

As to evaluate the stress management of the Criminology Students of

Northeastern College and their perception will be subjected to the Five point Likert Scale.
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The following points range and descriptive (qualitative) interpretation used in this

study:

POINTS RANGE DESCRIPTION

5 4.21-5.00 Strongly Agree

4 3.41-4.20 Agree

3 2.61-3.40 Undecided

2 1.81-2.60 Disagree

1 1.00-1.80 Strongly Disagree

The formula used to compute weighed mean is as follows:

fx

X = __________

Where:

X = Mean

fx = sum of the product of the scores

N = total number of score