USA: Brigham Young University professors share why children and teenagers need digital and real-life safe spaces

Context

  • Recent study identified top 10 factors that predicted suicidal thoughts and behavior in 179,000 Utah high school students
    • Top 2 predicators: being threatened, picked on or harassed by peers over the internet or at school
    • Among the top 10: Volatile classroom and family environments
  • Contemporary debate about safe spaces has become warped by partisan and ideological attacks, proclaiming that teens and young adults are soft, overcoddled “snowflakes”
    • Those who push for safe spaces become targets of critics
    • Most critics are adults, part of generation that accepted suffering as inevitable
    • A number of politicians have denied transgender children safe spaces
  • Recent suicide of 10-year old girl highlights need for safe spaces
    • With no response, students were left vulnerable to continued harassment

Recent Findings

  • Traumatic experiences are more common than adults might admit (CDC)
  • Research shows the connection between certain negative experiences and poorer mental health for youth
    • Negative experiences are set in school, online, in public or at home – makes it hard to dismiss safe spaces as way to coddle youth

Researchers' plea

  • A senior research scientist at The Trevor Project highlighted that safe spaces can shield transgender children from bullying but also to support their mental health and empower them
  • Safe spaces can be created by practicing empathy towards a vulnerable child

 

 

 

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Childhub

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