In the past decade, the rate of teen depression increased by 60 percent. Experts attribute this in part to the use of social media — and its resulting side-effect of decreased socialization. According to The Journal of Abnormal Psychology, teen suicide has increased by 56 percent in recent years, spurring experts to declare a youth mental health crisis.
2018 saw the deadliest number of school shootings in our nation’s history, with 105 incidents of gun violence on campuses, resulting in 61 deaths and 91 injuries. Active shooter drills have become a ‘normal’ part of the school experience.
Our current political climate has crept into our schools in the form of increased incidents of bullying, racism, and school-related hate crimes. Even under the best of circumstances, students experience major stress and anxiety from the pressure to succeed academically and get into a good college. And yet, U.S. students perform poorly in many academic categories compared to other developed nations. Despite myriad school reforms, we have failed to significantly move the needle on student success. Which begs the question – What are we doing wrong? An abundance of research now answers that question, and the answer is Social Emotional Learning (SEL).