Parents still voice overwhelming concerns for student mental health and online safety, according to a GoGuardian survey conducted by Morning Consult.

With the 2022-23 school year underway, parents and educators appear to favor online tools that protect students from harmful content and help detect student mental health concerns, according to the survey. 

The nationally representative group of nearly 2,500 K-12 parents, teachers, and administrators indicated both significant concerns for student mental health and a high level of support for schools using online technologies to help keep kids safe.

The need for online safety is especially clear when considering the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory highlighting the urgency of the nation’s youth mental health crisis. Morning Consult’s survey found that parents and educators recognize the role the internet can play in exacerbating mental health issues.

Key findings related to student mental health and safety from the survey include:

• Concern for student safety is high: More than 83% of K-12 parents, educators, and administrators feel a high level of concern for student mental health and violence in schools.
• The internet plays a role in influencing self-harm or violence: More than 72% of respondents agreed the internet plays a strong role in influencing students to harm themselves or others.
• Unrestricted access can be detrimental or harmful: Over three in four respondents agree that unrestricted access to the internet on school-issued devices can be detrimental to student mental health. 
• There is support for online tools that protect student safety: Nearly 90% of all respondents support online educational technology that could help detect signs of a student considering harming themselves or others.

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Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.

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• Source: https://www.eschoolnews.com/2022/11/30/educators-parents-remain-vigilant-about-protecting-student-mental-health/