Academics, Anxiety And How You Can Help

New data on kids and their school performance, states of mind and skills is sobering. Youth are losing ground with academics, and they are bullied, anxious and lack coping skills.

Statistically, most people are parents and most parents work, so concern about kids translates into broad numbers of people (think: employees and co-workers) who may be distracted or worried—for good reason. But even if you’re not a parent, you’ll want to take note—because in addition to being today’s sources of energy, spirit and hope, kids are also tomorrow’s adults—and critical members of society.

New reports prove the hype about kids’ struggles is legitimate, but there are also reasons for hope—in terms of the experience of youth, and also the potential responses from concerned adults.

Big Concerns

Kids are facing significant headwinds and they have a lot to worry about.

Stress and Coping

Youth are anxious and stressed. According to a study of over 100,000 young people ages 9-18 by Boys & Girls Clubs of America, 71% say when something goes wrong in their life, they can’t stop worrying about it, and 67% report they try to keep others from finding out about it.

On the positive side, 90% say they recognize the emotions they are feeling and understand how their feelings influence their actions. But despite this awareness, 70% of youth rate their ability to cope with challenges as medium to very low.

Working with Others

Another concern for kids is their lack of skills in working with others. Only 36% feel confident talking about an issue with a peer they’re having problems with, and 46% say their skills in resolving conflicts need improvement. In addition, almost a third of respondents felt they needed to improve their teamwork skills.

Perhaps part of kids’ concerns about relationships are based on the bullying they’re experiencing. Fully 37% reported they were bullied on school property and 18% had been electronically bullied over the last year. In addition, youth are 16% less likely to tell an adult when they are electronically bullied versus when the bullying occurs in person.

But there is a bit of good news about relationships: 94% of respondents reported they could work effectively with others who were different from them.

Academics

Also alarming, are new stats related to academics. According to the National Center for Education and Statistics, students have experienced plummeting academic abilities—reflected in a 5 point drop in reading scores—the largest drop in 32 years, and a 7-point drop in math scores—the biggest drop ever. The most significant decreases in scores were among the lowest performing children and among those who attend suburban schools compared with those who attend city schools.

And despite 93% of kids in the Boys & Girls Club study saying they expect to graduate from high school and 82% saying they’re curious to learn more about science, computers and technology, graduation rates are dropping. In fact, according to research by Chalkbeat, in the last two years, rates of graduation were lower in 20 out of 26 states analyzed.

Career Readiness

Perhaps the most optimistic news was based on the Boys & Girls Club study participants who said they felt ready for work. Specifically, 95% said they have the skills necessary to be successful in a job and 93% of 11^th and 12^th graders said they know what education or training they need for the careers they want.

Reasons for Hope

Kids need help, and adults can step in and have positive impact, so there may be reasons for hope in where we go from here.

Adults make a significant difference in the lives of youth. A study sponsored by Casey Family Programs found children were more likely to demonstrate resilience when their parents could discuss things with them, when parents participated in their child’s activities and knew their friends, and when parents managed their own stress.

But it’s not just parents who can make an impact. A new study from the University of Michigan found children’s coping skills were improved when they had positive involvement from neighbors and other adults. This reinforces research published in JAMA Pediatrics which found having at least two adults outside the family who were attentive and caring, resulted in positive outcomes for kids.

And more good news is adults are motivated to get involved. Studies by The Harris Poll which included more than 114,000 respondents, found 38% of people said community was increasingly important to them compared to their feelings pre-pandemic. In addition, 67% of people were feeling more compassionate and taking time to check in with people in their community and those around them.

Benefits for Adults

Of course when adults help, it’s good for kids, but it’s also positive for the adults themselves. Expressing your gifts and talents is correlated with happiness—and providing for others is also highly related to feeling greater fulfillment. A study by The Ascent found when people were more generous (in terms of giving money or time), 81% felt a greater sense of meaning in their life and 74% felt greater satisfaction with life.

In addition, kids make adults better. In a study by the University of Bath, when adults were around children, they were more likely to demonstrate compassion and donate to charity. This was regardless of gender, age, attitudes or previous contact with kids.

Adults can also boost career success by volunteering. A study published in Social Science Research found that those who volunteer tend to see a bump in their salary. And research by the Center for Economic and Policy Research also found positive correlations between volunteering and higher wages and between volunteering and the likelihood of employment. These benefits were based on learning new skills, demonstrating motivation and the network of connections adults created through their activities.

How to Help

The bottom line: You can get involved and help kids for the benefit of kids, but also for yourself.

There are plenty of ways adults can help kids—from working with children’s advocacy groups or clubs to getting involved with schools who seek volunteers to tutor children or participate in after-school coaching or mentoring. You can help as an individual, or you can get involved in conjunction with your colleagues—doing a read-a-thon between adults and kids or organizing a adult-kids sports tournament with an area youth organization.

As the saying goes, “Children spell ‘love,’ t-i-m-e,” and adult involvement and caring can come in many forms. Most important are the empathy, presence and attention adults contribute—no matter what activity they’re doing with kids.

In Sum

There is significant cause for concern. But adults can help. When they do, the impact is meaningful for both on kids and communities—and for the adults who reach out, help, guide, mentor and invest their time and attention.