Emotionally healthy students are more resilient. This is important because the emotional well-being of students determines the quality of their educational and social experience in school. There are a number of ways to help children become emotionally resilient, which can be done by fostering self-regulation, meaning control over one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviour especially in response to challenge or stress. Studies show that self-regulation is related to lower rates of bullying victimisation and better grades.
The Problem
All of us are affected by stress at times in our life. As we get older, our ability to cope with stress diminishes. We become more vulnerable to anxiety and depression, and we also have more difficulties dealing with everyday challenges. As a result of this, some students might experience symptoms of anxiety or depression, including lack of motivation and strong negative emotions (i.e., sadness or anger). These symptoms can affect their academic performance. Moreover, if the symptoms persist for a long period of time, students might be at risk of developing mental health problems.
The Study
A 2007 research study conducted by Dr. M. J. Prinstein and his colleagues suggests that involvement in bullying, being a victim or witness, can lead to emotional difficulty, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. They further found that adolescents who have been involved in bullying have a higher risk of problems in their academic performance compared to those who do not participate in bullying behaviours.
Therefore, to give students a more meaningful educational and social experience, teachers should focus on their emotional well-being by developing programs that help the students to develop self-regulation. For example:
- Improve student’s emotional skills;
- Reduce bullying behaviour;
- Promote peer mediation; and/or,
- Encourage adults to be role models in reducing bullying behaviour and promoting positive behaviour among adults and peers.