Dive Brief:
- A survey of 2,000 U.S. parents of children 15 to 20 years old by Course Hero, an online learning platform, found one in five parents have sought professional help for their child’s stress and one in four have considered it.
- Too many homework assignments and the struggle of balancing schoolwork were two top factors in student stress, according to parents, and 52% of parents reported allowing their child to stay home from school as a break.
- The study also found regional differences, with 71% of parents in the Northeast saying their kids are likely to talk about school stress or pressure and 70% of parents in the Midwest saying the same, compared to only 60% of parents in the Southwest.
Dive Insight:
Many students today are arguably over-programmed. Beyond their academic commitments, they have a suite of extracurricular activities or part-time jobs. And they know top colleges are becoming increasingly competitive.
Whether the pressure is put on them by themselves or the adults around them, it is important to recognize the toxic effects of such stress, especially if academics are just one part of it.
New research from YouthTruth found that beyond the average statistic of students bullied — one in four — some schools have bullying rates as high as almost 60%. Better understanding individual school populations can help educators target supports to a unique group of students. Perhaps climate surveys should include questions about academic stress in addition to the range of other issues addressed.