Page 60 - Security Today, April 2021

"HID BEEKs beacons are at the heart of a contact tracing solution that has enabled us to safely resume in-person classes. This solution will also help us keep our campus operational should isolated parts of our community find themselves infected."
High Rates of Self Harm
New poll reveals American teens are experiencing anxiety and depression
Teen Anxiety
The most recent Navigate360 and Zogby Strategies Safety and Wellbe- ing Poll shows the growing teen anxi- ety brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on America’s economy, culture and daily life.
Safety Preparedness
This is the second poll in a series of nation- wide surveys conducted by Navigate360, a full-spectrum safety preparedness and response company, and John Zogby Strate- gies, a national polling firm, which revealed that many American teens are not confident in their school leadership’s ability to keep them safe as they return to the classroom.
When asked what kept them up at night, teens overwhelmingly reported anxiety and depression as key factors. However, even more concerning was that 56% of students reported that they personally knew someone who con- sidered self-harm or suicide, but less than one third (32%) believed their school was prepared to handle this issue, demonstrating that school leaders need to address social and emotional safety in addition to physical safety.
Only 36% of teens ages 16-17 reported they know who to call and where to report a threat, less than half (42%) believe their school is doing its best to create an atmo- sphere of physical and emotional safety. These stats show diminishing confidence and feelings of security compared to a similar poll conducted in August.
The most recent Safety and Security Poll is the second analysis from Navigate360 and John Zogby Strategies in their partnership to assess the state of mental and physical safety and wellbeing in the United States. One poll focused on adults, and the companion poll captured the attitudes and beliefs of teens aged 16-17. The results show that despite the end of 2020, a change in administration, and hope for vaccines to prevent the spread and rise of the Covid-19 pandemic, fear is still present in the lives of many Americans both young and old.
Other Key Takeaways
• Survey. Fifty-eight percent of teens and 76% of adults surveyed said they only felt safe at home. Compared to the last survey,
this is a 12-point decrease for teens but a
6-point increase for adults.
• Planning. Only 37% of teens believe that
their school has a comprehensive emer-
gency plan.
• Emotional safety. Fifty-five percent of
teens surveyed said they thought more about their physical and emotional safety and wellness compared to six months ago. When looking at teens in large cities, this jumps to 75%.
• Priority. Only 55% of teens believed that school leaders thought safety was a priority and only 42% thought schools were spend- ing enough time and money to keep stu- dents safe. One-in-three (35%) said they felt the “least safe” in school compared to their home, after-school job, favorite res- taurant or place of worship.
Based on the results, students don’t feel safe in school and as a nation we need to put in the work to reverse this trend. Through staff trainings and established processes and protocols, schools can ensure students are supported and comfortable asking for help. Leaders in both the public and private sec- tors need to come together and take action to address our nation’s school safety crisis.
Americans should have confidence that students are learning in environments that are physically, socially, and emotionally safe and allow young adults to thrive so they can reach their full potential.
The Poll results showed adults were some- what more upbeat on how leaders and institu- tions are handling matters of workplace, school and public safety. Of the nine areas tested, con- fidence among adults actually rose in six cate- gories between four and eight percentage points. Nonetheless, 38% feel less safe about their own or their child’s school, 34% about their place of worship, and 50% about their favorite restaurant. Three in five (59%) said they now think more about their physical and emotional safety than they did six months ago.
While adults are slowly becoming more confident, today’s Gen Z teens are known for not trusting familiar institutions and leaders. The current crisis only seems to have exacer- bated that rejection, especially towards school leadership and their ability to keep students safe. Unaddressed, this could have broader outcomes on Gen-Z’s future.
JP Guilbault is the CEO of Navigate360.
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8 campuslifesecurity.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021
By JP Guilbault