The pandemic, virtual classes, and family or personal problems have considerably changed people’s daily life. In the case of students, this has principally reduced academic performance and motivation to face day-to-day life, which can have different effects on children.
Children and teenagers may experience feelings of isolation, uncertainty, fear, anger, loss, and sadness, which can negatively impact their learning process, behavior, and physical and mental health. (Shonkoff, Boyce, and McEwen, 2009).
Experiencing these feelings is a fundamental part of every child’s development, and they should be able to count on their school, educators, and responsible adults to support them in this process.
Social-Emotional Learning
This type of learning is defined as the process that combines various basic skills to recognize and manage emotions, strengthen relationships, and make decisions, promoting awareness of each individual and their emotional development. Furthermore, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) allows for further development of skills that aid children in their educational process, contributing to a better psychosocial well-being.
Psychosocial Support
Psychosocial Support is the process that facilitates resilience in individuals, families, and communities to help others recover from life-altering events by developing skills to “return to normalcy.”
There are two main categories of psychosocial support: the psychological dimension, which involves thoughts, emotions, behaviors, memories, and perceptions, and the social dimension, which refers to the interaction and relationships between a child or teenager and their family, peers, and community.
Schools are beneficial environments for children and teenagers living through complex situations. Psychosocial support protects children from negative consequences by providing opportunities to build relationships, besides promoting good academic performance.
Translation by: Laura Vallejo
