Emotional Safety

Image
emotional safety

An experience in which one feels safe to express emotions, security, and confidence to take risks and feel challenged and excited to try something new.

Emotional safety in schools refers to how safe a student feels in expressing their emotions in school.  Students should feel secure and confident as they express themselves and take on challenges that encourage them to try something new.

Emotionally safe learning environments can be achieved by making social and emotional learning (SEL) an essential part of education. SEL is the process through which children and adults acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and skills they need to recognize and manage their emotions, feel and show empathy toward others, establish positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. SEL can support conditions for belonging and emotional safety when schools are responsive to students’ perspectives and needs, affirming of students’ full identities, and promote structures that create predictability and consistency. Competence in the use of SEL skills is promoted in the context of safe and supportive school, family, and community learning environments in which children feel valued, respected, and connected to and engaged in learning.

Featured Resources

Website homepage with title over background of flowers

Outlines resources for addressing crises that occur in schools and school communities, and how to move forward in the aftermath of these crises.

Website homepage title over background of fencing

Presents a list of resources to support mental health during world crises. 

Mother laughing with son

Examines how children across the United States were faring before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Identifies multi-year trends comparing statistics from 2010 to 2018 and utilizes this information to help shape policymakers, researchers, and advocates' work to build stronger futures for children, families, and communities.

America’s schools are often a primary source of supports for the mental health and general well-being of children and youth. These supports are particularly essential when students are struggling or experiencing trauma (e.g., contending with impact of COVID-19), while also experiencing adolescence. A key area of support schools can provide is building student resilience.  Building student resilience can mitigate the impact of adversities, enabling students to rise above the challenges they face and recalibrate their responses accordingly. This is especially the case when students have

Graphic of students in front of a school.

Promotes healthy teen relationships including prevention strategies for individuals, peers, families, schools, and neighborhoods. Also, encourages ideas and experiences young teens need in order to have healthy relationships and prevent negative relationship behaviors early in life.

CDC cover page on LGBT Youth

Provides research-based steps parents can take to support the health and well-being of LGBTQI+ youth. Also, outlines effects on education and mental health regarding this population and what can schools can do to foster a nurturing environment.  

Related Resources

Training

Product

Research

Website

American Institutes for Research

U.S. Department of Education

The contents of the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments Web site were assembled under contracts from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools to the American Institutes for Research (AIR), Contract Number  91990021A0020.

This Web site is operated and maintained by AIR. The contents of this Web site do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the U.S. Department of Education nor do they imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education.

©2024 American Institutes for Research — Disclaimer   |   Privacy Policy   |   Accessibility Statement