“I Feel Like I Am Just Alone”: How Youth Report School and Social Belonging (Poster 24)

• In Event: Thursday Poster Session 10:50 am
  In Poster Session: Critical Analysis of Youth Research and Perspectives

Abstract

While schools are seen as crucial spaces for cultivating a sense of belonging and community among students, the COVID-19 disruption resulted in increased feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression amongst youth; particularly minoritized youth (Goldberg, 2021). In this qualitative analysis of open-ended responses to a youth belonging survey (N=1227) authors examine factors that lead to unbelonging to further our understanding of challenges facing youth and inform the development of effective interventions and policies that promote belonging in K-12 schools. Using Stanton-Salazar’s (2001) work on supportive relationships and Small’s (2009) networks of support, analysis demonstrates the significance of relationships in fostering student connections to school communities and the important role of schools in creating an environment that fosters positive relationships.

Authors

• Sophia Rodriguez, New York University

• Lisa Lopez Escobar, University of Maryland

• Katya Murillo, University of Maryland

• Staci Pippin-Kottkamp, University of Maryland