The aim of this research is to evaluate the emotions that generate constructive and destructive strategies for coping in social conflict situations by adolescents. Studies based on C. Spielberger’s ThreeFactor Personality States and Traits Inventory (TISCO), adapted by K. Wrześniewski, and K. Thomas’ and R. Kilmann’s Conflict Resolution Style Questionnaire (CRSQ), adapted by T. Wach (Dąbrowski 1991), were used for the empirical study done in 2014 on students from Polish gymnasium schools in Vilnius. Adolescent students (131 girls and 126 boys) ranging from age 1315 years were chosen. Base on the analysis of the study material collected, one can say that adolescents applying destructive strategies in social conflict situations, demonstrate high level of negative emotions. Adolescents who constructively steer their behaviour in a social conflict situation are characterized with a higher level of positive emotions. The data from current studies suggests that youths using cooperation strategies in social conflict situations, exhibit higher emotional tension of curiosity, as a trait. Studies conducted show that during the age of adolescence, boys deal with emotionsactivating social conflict situations better than girls, as more often they seek mutual understanding with partners rather than resolving disputable issues.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the contribution of self-esteem and locus of control in generating in the youth an aggressive coping strategy in a social conflict situation. The study made use of a proprietary questionnaire to study the coping strategy of youth in a social conflict situation (KSMK), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), and the questionnaire to Study the Locus of Control (KBPK) created by G. Krasowicz and A. Kurzyp-Wojnarska. Empirical studies were carried out in junior high schools [Polish: gimnazjum] in Wroclaw and the surrounding area. They involved 811 adolescents (414 girls and 397 boys) aged 13 – 15. In the light of the performed studies it was stated that low general selfesteem in youth and strong belief in the influence of others on positive or negative effects of events play a particular role in the choice of aggressive strategy of young people to cope in a social confl ictsituation.

The article is a short report compiled on the basis of the survey research focusing on disabled people’s conceptions of their own everyday life and of social attitudes towards impairment. The survey examined the ways of experiencing life, with regard to the following categories: self-perception; perceiving environmental attitudes towards visible disability; emotional and behavioural reactions to the patterns of behaviour displayed by the environment; assessing one’s own relations with other people; making an overall evaluation of the society’s approach to disability. The author also presents three main theoretical theses regarding shaping social attitudes towards the disabled, as well as outlines the leading strategies which people with disabilities employ in order to cope with critical situations. These are constructive and destructive strategies, related to young people’s approach to life – a positive attitude (encouraging development) and a negative one (hindering development).