Reminder of Tips for School Officials and Teachers to Support Students in Social Crises
Reminder of Tips for School Officials and Teachers to Support Students in Social Crises. Social crises are accompanied by high levels of stress that can seriously harm the mental health of children and adolescents. In these situations, schools, as the second home for students, play an important role in crisis management. However, many school officials and teachers may not know what actions to take to reduce stress levels in these situations.
Paying attention to the following tips and implementing them can help teachers and school officials in this regard.
In high-stress situations, the excitement levels of children and adolescents are high, and it is not unusual for misbehavior and anger to increase. In dealing with these behaviors, keep calm and try not to escalate tensions. Avoid using violence, creating fear, blaming, and managing the situation.
Adopt a caring approach and try to ensure that students are not involved in the crisis and are not exposed to risks and harm as much as possible.
Maintain close communication with the students’ parents and collaborate with them to manage the crisis.
Provide opportunities for students to express their concerns and feelings. Try to look at the situation from their perspective and do not downplay their concerns.
Teach them methods of managing emotions and controlling anger.
Do not engage in debates and arguments with their beliefs and do not try to align them with your beliefs. In crises, the first step is to reduce excitement levels, and discussions are not very effective.
Young children do not have a complete understanding of events and cannot process many incidents in their minds. Therefore, do not expose young children to news and details of incidents.
There is always a group of children and adolescents who are more vulnerable than others. For example, students with a history of anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, etc., need more care. In these cases, stay in contact with the parents of these children to provide the necessary support if needed.
In crisis situations, a lot of misinformation and rumors are exchanged. Teach students not to easily accept or react to any news or message until sufficient evidence is obtained.
To gain the trust of students, be straightforward with them. Avoid premature judgment and confirming certain news and information without sufficient evidence.
In stressful and crisis situations, the likelihood of high-risk behaviors, self-harm, and suicide increases. In these situations, monitor students at risk, especially those with a previous history of suicide attempts, depression, etc., and take the necessary actions to prevent it if you observe warning signs such as prior announcements or threats of suicide.
You too endure a lot of stress in these situations. Take care of yourself and plan for rest opportunities. If at times you feel you cannot control your emotions, try not to take action and hand over the management of the situation to another colleague.
Consult mental health professionals at any stage.
Source: Iranian Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry