Q&A with Dr. Jennifer Green: An educator’s role in student well-being and mental health
When it comes to student well-being, Dr. Jennifer Green is someone you want to know. Dr. Green is a psychologist who is an associate professor at Boston University and an expert on student mental health and bullying prevention. She also co-directs the Social Adjustment and Bullying Prevention Laboratory and collaborates with a number of schools and districts to assess bullying in schools. We sat down with Dr. Green to discuss what educators should know about their role in supporting the whole student.
Tell us about your background and line of work and how it relates to student well-being.
My research is focused on how schools can support students’ social and emotional well-being. I started research projects related to bullying as a graduate student at UC Santa Barbara. In working together with my graduate advisor, it became clear that many schools make decisions about student well-being based on what they hear from the most vocal students and families. We became interested in how we could use data and surveys to meet the needs of the whole student body. We found that there are marked disparities in who gets support when it comes to student mental health services. When school staff is left to rely on the most vocal students and families, the students left out are often the same ones who are underserved in other ways. My research team is interested in reducing inequities in social and emotional well-being. This data collection is one means to get to that goal of giving everyone a voice.
Here at The Social Institute, we work with students across the country to empower them to navigate tech, social media, and their social world positively. Through your work, what have you found to be some of the most interesting or eye-opening finds?
Some of the most interesting recent findings were from a project led by my colleague Andrew Bacher-Hicks at Boston University. We looked at Google Trends data over time for searches related to “bullying” and how those searches changed day by day during the COVID-19 pandemic. Early in the pandemic, there were lots of discussions about concern about cyberbullying and we found that both bullying and cyberbullying searches decreased during the pandemic pretty significantly and have continued to stay at lower rates than they were pre-pandemic. This finding showed us the pandemic changed not only in-person bullying experiences but also cyberbullying.
Can you tell us more about why you think this was the case?
In our paper, we have a few hypotheses as to why cyberbullying and bullying decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our main hypothesis was that cyberbullying and bullying are closely linked and other studies have shown that it is often the same students involved in both. With the decrease in bullying, and because there was not as much in-person school during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were fewer opportunities for in-person bullying. We also saw how with more remote schooling, adults were around during the screen time and internet use online – in ways that they weren’t there before, so there was more adult oversight online and on Zoom.
You recently wrote an article about teachers’ roles in students’ mental health. Could you talk a little bit more about that study and some tips for teachers on how they can support students when it comes to their well-being?
Teachers have an important role in schools in making referrals [which is when a teacher refers a student for mental health services], as they are often the first adults to recognize mental health concerns among students. We have seen that teachers are concerned about student mental health but often feel ill-prepared and have little training. When teachers encourage families to seek mental health services, these referrals can be effective.
Here are some recommendations when thinking about the role of teachers in supporting student mental health:
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- It is important to think about teachers’ well-being as well. When teachers are struggling with their mental health, it is harder for them to support their students.
- Teachers are in a role where they are the first to notice a concern or challenge with a student. It is not the teacher’s job to be a therapist, but they can identify when to make a referral that will encourage students to get the support they need.
- It is helpful when teachers have a stance of curiosity when trying to understand students’ needs and interpreting their behavior, for example, asking themself “Why is a student coming late to school?”
If we train and support the teachers to make referrals, how do we make sure there is enough support for students?
Right now schools are the #1 mental health provider for students in the US. But, it is also important to know that not every student who is struggling needs formal mental health services, for example, some need a welcoming and caring community. And some students need a caring adult to check in on them. Part of the reason for conducting mental health assessments is to understand who needs support, which kind of support, and who in the community can provide the support. For our research team, this means taking a holistic approach.
Here at The Social Institute, we have 7 Social Standards that students, schools, and families can look up to as ways of living. One of our Standards is “Handle the Pressure,” which means finding your own path no matter the pressure from others. How do you handle the pressure in your daily life? And do you have any advice for a 13-year-old who may be struggling to find their own path?
I have conducted research on social relationships, and also friendships, and the importance of social connection. In my own life, my main response to stress is going to people in my life to who I feel connected and who support me. Being thoughtful about the people who I surround myself with is how I stay true to my own path regardless of the pressures around me.
My advice to a 13-year-old is to find people who you can rely on and who you know are supportive of you, your identity, and your interests. It is so important to find people who support us, whether that be teachers, parents, adults, or peers, and to feel comfortable going to those people and asking for help when we need it.
Here at The Social Institute, we are on a mission of supporting students and empowering them to Find Positive Influencers. This means surrounding ourselves with positive and credible influences that support us and have our backs. For more ways on how you can support students to manage social media in positive ways through The Social Institute’s 7 Social Standards, check out this blog.
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in understanding student experiences and creator of #WinAtSocial, a gamified, online learning platform that equips students, educators, and families to navigate social experiences — online and offline — in healthy ways. Our unique, student-respected approach incorporates topics like social media, technology use, and current events that have a significant impact on student well-being. Lessons teach life skills for the modern day to inspire high-character decisions that support the health, happiness, and future success of students, while capturing data that provides insights to school leaders to inform school policy and communications, and enable high-impact teaching and a healthy learning environment. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities.