Youth Development
Youth anxiety: helping kids to face and deal with their fears
BY PAUL JUNOR
Anxiety in youth is an issue that has repercussions and effects in their lived realities. It comes in many forms and expressions and it can have a profound impact on the lives of youth.
According to Anxiety Canada, “Anxiety is our body’s normal reaction to perceived danger or important events. Anxiety is like an internal system. It alerts us to danger and helps our body prepare to deal with it. Anxiety comes in many forms making it challenging, interesting and difficult to deal with. Anxiety is normal and expected response to a threat. It’s what helps you notice a danger and keeps you safe until a threat passes.”
It is important to understand the connection between stress and anxiety. According to the International Dyslexia Association, “Stress is the reaction of the body and brain to situations that puts us in harms ways. The stressor may be a physical threat, or a psychological threat. Stress, or more specifically the stress response, is our body’s attempt to keep us safe from harm. It’s a biological and psychological response (http://www.interdys.org). Furthermore, anxiety is a state of worry about what might be –as compared to stress, which is a reaction to what is.”
The same chemical reactions are involved in the brain, when stress and anxiety are triggered. Worrying frequently about something negative occurring will lead to a state of chronic stress. According to Toronto District School Board’s 2017 Student and Parent Census Data (released on Tuesday, November 13th, 2018) involved more than 222,000 students and parents. There was an overall 10% decline in the emotional well being of students in Grade 7 to 12 compared to the last census. Emotional well being included: how they see themselves, the future and if they often feel sad, lonely and anxious.
According to John Malloy, Director of the TDSB, “This information offers important insights into what student’s lives are like outside of the classroom, and what supports we need to offer inside the classroom to respond. When we, as educators, know who our students are, when we listen closely to their needs, we then can provide services that meet those needs.”
It has been estimated that the total number of 12 to 19 years old who are experiencing depression is increasing and anxiety is the biggest symptom of this overarching stress. (Canadian Mental Institute). There are different types of anxiety that youth experience and the symptoms that manifest depend on the type. These symptoms may include: feelings of fear, uneasiness or panic, problems failing asleep, sweaty hands or feet, breathing difficulty, shortness of breath, and an inability to be calm, (WebMD). There are other symptoms such as: dizziness, muscle tension, nausea and tingling or numbness in the feet or hand.
Anxiety often manifests itself in different types of anxiety disorders. WebMD defined it as “A mental illness that produces fear, worry and a constant feeling of being overwhelmed.” Common anxiety disorders include social anxiety, specific phobias (severe anxiety or fears) and generalized anxiety. It is unconfirmed what causes anxiety disorder, although certain risk factors such as: personality, family history, stresses and brain illness have been implicated. Generalized anxiety is, “A kind of free-floating sense of worrying or impending trouble that doesn’t seem to be specific to one trigger event” (hhtp:/www.interdys.org).
It is important that trained professionals be consulted to provide expert advice to help youth. The DE-STRESS (Define, Educate, Speculate, Teach, Reduce the Threat, Exercise, Success and Strategize) model has been recommended as a step-by-step guide for helping kids deal with anxiety.
Youth Development
Understanding the multiple layers involved in navigating education spaces Parents of Black Children launch Navigating the Education System
BY PAUL JUNOR
The work of the advocacy group Parents of Black Children (PoBC) has made a significant and revolutionary difference by bringing issues to the forefront that help Black families at all levels.
For over two years now, it has organized events, workshops and initiatives that have provided important information to the Black community to bring empowerment, knowledge and deep understanding of the multiple layers of the complex dynamics involved in navigating education spaces.
There are five core principles that underlie PoBC understanding of racism:
- Racialization
- Racism is about power
- Critical racial theory
- Our stories matter
- Racism is founded on White supremacy
On Tuesday, November 23rd, 2021, they launched the document “Navigating the Education System,” which was a very empowering, enriching and inspiring tool for diverse Black families. Kearie Daniels, one of the cofounders of PoBC and author of the document, moderated the launch. Furthermore, Claudette Rutherford, one of the cofounders of PoBC and author gave an extensive presentation of the details of the document, sharing useful insights, practical knowledge and interesting information.
PoBC shared a pdf document subsequent to the launch, which provided additional details in a fifty-three-page package. It contained relevant, contextual and vital resources. PoBC’s Advocacy Team supported the document, which includes Charline Grant and Xavier McLaughin.
In the introduction to the document the mission of PoBC is to “Provide support to parents of Black children across Canada and the United States. We advocate and work towards change and concrete action in our education system and adjacent systems such child welfare and the justice system.”
The launch of this vital document is a culmination of all the advocacy and activist work that PoBC has been extensively involved in. It serves to remind members of the Black community that there are resources, tools and supports available to ensure that Black children are able to thrive academically, excel mentally and flourish intellectually in spaces that may not be welcoming to their presence.
The document states that the navigate guide is “Geared towards families in Ontario, but the information can be applied to any jurisdiction where there are Black children and families.”
The document “Table of Contents” is useful and helpful. There is vital information on:
- School board terms you need to know
- Education organization you need to know in Ontario
- Black families and the Child Welfare System
- Black families and the education system
- Black students and Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
- Black students in High School.
- Developmental delays in learning exceptionalities
- Supporting students with learning exceptionalities
- Selecting a school system
- System abuse
PoBC presented a webinar on “System Abuse”. The document states,
“The system is not neutral. These systems were designed as part of a colonial framework that must be dismantled.” Furthermore, the document “Serves as a means to demystify the pitfalls within the education system and light a path towards a decolonized education system.”
BY PAUL JUNOR
There have been concerns, fears and anxieties as parents, caregivers and guardians anticipate the possibility of having their children under twelve vaccinated.
The Boston Globe reported on Friday, October 29th, 2021, that the FDA approved the administration of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children between the ages of five to eleven. These children will receive one-third of the dose administered to teens and adults.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention met on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021, in order to finalize details with respect to which children should be vaccinated first. In anticipation of these developments, Team Toronto has initiated a series of outreach and education sessions, as well as town halls in order to inform the Toronto community.
Parents of children between the ages of five to eleven who attend public schools will be receiving an email and an invitation to respond to a survey to “Support vaccine planning.” This invitation will also be extended to parents whose children attend private independent schools as well. The survey will be administered by Toronto Public Health (TPH) and the City of Toronto VaxTO in order to “Better understand parents’ intent to vaccinate their children, how they would prefer to have their children receive their COVID-19 vaccine, and to obtain critical information on socio-demographic factors such as race and income.”
John Tory, Mayor of Toronto, is optimistic and positive about this development. He states in the press release, “While our work to get 90% of eligible residents vaccinated is continuing, we are also readying for when the vaccine will be available to protect kids five to eleven. We want to hear from parents, so we made sure we designed a vaccination program that works for kids and their families. This is just one more example of the outreach we are doing to prepare for this effort. This work is so important and will help us get kids vaccinated so they have the best protection against COVID-19 and so our schools can be as safe and as open as possible.”
Councillor Joe Cressy, Chair of Toronto’s Board of Health who has been at the forefront of advocating for the vaccination of margnizalied and at-risk communities is supportive of this campaign. He states, “At every stage of our immunization campaign, connecting with people on the ground has been critical to our success. Now, as we prepare for the rollout of vaccines to children aged five to eleven, we’re committed to engaging directly with parents, families, and community leaders to have active conversations about vaccinations for kids.”
In addition, Dr Eileen De Villa, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health is a strong proponent of this campaign. She states,” When vaccines are approved for use and when we have supply we will ensure that we bring every resource to bear on this critical component of the vaccination campaign.”
The survey will be available as of Sunday, November 7th, 2021. It consists of fifteen questions that will be available online at s.tphsurvey.chkmkt.com in multiple languages. Parents and guardians will receive them from their children’s public school boards. In addition, there will be town halls for specified multilingual communities as well as neighbourhood-based telephone halls to ensure that the public has access to timely, necessary and relevant information for informed decision-making.
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