No abstract

As such, these special individuals may require greater levels, or different types, of guidance and assistance in order to fulfill their academic and vocational potential. Utilizing social support systems may help gifted adolescents cope with the diverse demands they face. Social support refers to general support and/or specific supportive behaviors from others that enhance an individual's functioning and/or buffer him or her from adverse circumstances (Malecki & Demaray, 2003). Social support systems may include people such as friends, family, and peers, as well as individuals in specific institutions (e.g., schools, athletic organizations).The limited research on social support and the gifted indicates a potential connection between systems of social support and levels of adolescents' self-concepts (VanTassel-Baska & Olszewski-Kubilius, 1994), which may play a role in the academic and socioemotional development of gifted individuals. However, a review of the literature revealed the subject of social support systems and their relationships with self-concept has received little attention. Although numerous studies have investigated proposed structures of social support (e.g.