What is really being heard in the school hallways?

During the autumn, there has been much discussion in schools about safety, friendships, bullying, peer pressure, and how to encounter another person when there is a disagreement. The same themes have emerged with both pupils and adults. It has been great to notice that many young people want to discuss even difficult matters. When given the opportunity, they speak surprisingly openly about what works in school and what does not. At the same time, it has become evident that some young people carry worries that may not be visible on the outside.

Recently, questions have also arisen about the types of messages children and young people are exposed to outside of school. Content circulating on social media, in games, and in various online communities can reinforce confrontation, discriminatory attitudes, or a very black-and-white worldview. Observations made in the local area also serve as a reminder that such phenomena should not be thought of as problems only in other localities. At the same time, concerns have been raised about small and large conflicts between young people. The backgrounds of these situations are not always known well enough, and quick conclusions should not be drawn. Instead, we should dare to be genuinely interested in what is actually happening behind these phenomena.

One thing, however, has repeatedly come to mind during the autumn. We talk a lot about what children and young people should learn in schools. Less often do we stop to consider what adults should learn and update in their lives. This means all adults: parents, teachers, coaches, instructors, and others involved in the lives of young people. Tremendously valuable work is being done in schools. Many teachers and other professionals encounter difficult situations daily, building trust, setting boundaries, and supporting young people as they move forward. At the same time, it is clear that practices vary. Some intervene in situations actively, others perhaps more cautiously. From a young person’s perspective, however, this is of great significance. If one adult addresses a situation and another walks past, the message can be contradictory.

Therefore, I have recently been wondering if we should spend a little more time supporting adults. What if safety and well-being work is not just workshops, campaigns, or events aimed at pupils? What if it is equally important that the adults in the school community have a shared understanding of when to intervene, how to intervene, and how to take matters forward? Ultimately, a safe school is not created by a single project, workshop, or operating model. It is created by people. By children and young people feeling that they are seen. By adults working together. And by daring to speak aloud about even difficult things and taking the necessary actions.

Perhaps that is the most important lesson and reminder of this autumn: safety is not built only for children and young people. It is built together with them, but above all, also among us adults.

The autumn break offered a good moment to take a breath and also to pause and reflect on what we could do even better to support the daily lives of children and young people. Personally, I intend to return to these questions:

What kind of messages do we adults convey through our own actions?

Are we ready to reflect on our own actions as well, and not just those of the young people?

How do we ensure that every child and young person feels seen, heard, and encountered?

And do we dare to intervene when the situation requires it?

Author: Sini Viljamäki, Project Coordinator, Towards a Safer Everyday Life project