Schools as Safe Spaces for Adolescents: A Mental Health Perspective

Creating safe spaces in schools means building affectual boundaries where our adolescents feel secure to explore; deal with conflicts, stress, and injustice; and transform the classroom into an emotionally restorative space. A sound socio-emotional support structure makes them feel safe enough to learn. Although the Kerala government has curated innovative programs for the psychosocial well-being of adolescents in schools, there is immense work left to be done when it comes to empowering teachers to support students with their problems. A series of in-depth interviews were conducted with 43 teachers and school social workers in understanding their role in administering effective interventions to foster positive mental health. The researchers concluded the study with a theoretically rooted framework that informs potential training modules for teachers.