Charlotte Wallace

Mr.Smith

Junior ELA

6 November 2023

The Impact of Schools on Mental Health

In a society where education is supposed to develop children's minds and get them ready

for a better future, the sad truth is that mental health is frequently neglected in schools.

Sometimes, the very locations where students should find inspiration and encouragement can

turn into safe spaces for stress, worry, and hopelessness. Schools can introduce factors such as

bullying and academic pressure, which affects students' mental health greatly. While many

schools work to boost the mental health of students, in reality it causes negative effects on

students' mental health, such as increased stress and psychological disorders, they also contribute

to increased absences and difficulty attending classes.

Our peers in school can lift you up and encourage you to do well in academics and

extracurricular activities, however many children experience bullying in younger years

continuing throughout high school, which makes them feel less of themselves and scared to go to

school because of the bullying with their peers in school. Bullying is one of the most upsetting

parts of school life, it's a widespread problem that can negatively impact a students mental

health. Bullying can take many different forms, such as verbal, physical, or cyberbullying. It can

impact a diverse group of students and can leave them feeling afraid, alone, and humiliated. This

ongoing danger impairs a child’s mental health and makes it difficult for them to concentrate on

their academic goals. Bullying victims are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, and

other mental health conditions, according to several studies. Resilience can be built through
overcoming hardship, but the psychological damage caused by severe and ongoing bullying

might outweigh any possible advantages. This is especially true when we take into account how

bullying affects mental health in the long run. In addition to this, the effects of bullying can be

shown through the attendance in schools. It is shown that “Among bullied students, 15.5%

missed one or more days of school because of safety concerns during the past 30 days” (CDC).

Bullying in schools frequently results in an abrupt decrease in student attendance since the

victims may frequently miss school due to feelings of anxiety and fear. The academic

performance and general well-being of a student may suffer as a result of this persistent absence.

To avoid becoming victims themselves or to distance themselves from the hostile environment,

students who witness or become aware of bullying occurrences may also choose to skip school,

which increases attendance problems. Bullying has negative impacts on mental health that

should not be disregarded, despite the claims of some that it is an unavoidable aspect of growing

up and that it can teach resilience.

Although school can be a great working atmosphere and a safe place, many students view

schools to have a lot of pressure on their futures and academic goals. Research shows “that

feeling overwhelming school-related stress actually reduces your motivation to do the work,

impacts your overall academic achievement, and increases your odds of dropping out. Stress can

also cause health problems such as depression, poor sleep, substance abuse, and anxiety” (JED).

This quotation emphasizes the negative effects that excessive stress from school can have on

students. Excessive stress can be a demotivator, impeding students capacity to perform well

academically and raising the risk of dropping out, as research has repeatedly demonstrated.

Another significant reason why schools can affect students' mental health is by students doing

poorly in school as a result of the academic pressures. Additionally, “students who have
academic stress tend to do poorly in school. This shows how stress from academics can prevent

kids from doing as well as they could” (KVC). The statement emphasizes the negative effects of

academic stress on students' performance in the classroom and shows that those who are under

such stress frequently do poorly. Demonstrating the cause-and-effect link between the results of

schooling and academic stress, ultimately forming a connection between stress and poor

performance in the classroom. Also provides a dramatic illustration of how the demands and

pressures of the educational system can have a significant impact on students' mental health.

Some may believe that school can negatively affect mental health, however it can be

shown that through research schools can improve the mental health of children. Research shows

that “education can improve mental health by broadening your intellectual, social and emotional

horizons. Attending school can also expand your knowledge, help you meet new people, further

your goals, improve your career and even help you build better coping mechanisms” (Education

Boosts Mental Health). Even though students can benefit from school it is shown that students

are struggling with their mental health more than succeeding. In addition to this, my personal

experience in school supports the idea that school affects mental health in a negative connotation.

The constant pressure to perform well academically during my current high school year had a

severe negative impact on my mental health. An intense feeling of anxiety and self-doubt was

brought on by the continual pressure to perform well on tests and assignments, which resulted in

high stress levels and sleepless nights. It negatively impacted my general well being and brought

attention to the need for a more helpful and well-rounded approach to education. Even though

many people think that school will boost mental health through broadening your intellectual,

social and emotional horizons, I can further argue against this because of my personal experience

and research that has been conducted to support the idea that students are negatively affected.
 To conclude my argument, it is clear that bullying and the constant pressure adolescents

have to perform well academically can have a negative effect on mental health in schools,

affecting students ability to go to school. It is challenging to underestimate the emotional and

psychological costs of bullying because it frequently results in depressive, anxious, and isolated

sensations that are detrimental to a students general wellbeing. Comparably, chronic stress,

exhaustions, and serious mental health illnesses can be worsened by the intense competition and

high standards seen in the academic setting. But it's also critical to recognize the opposition,

which is that schools have a lot to offer in terms of mental health advantages.
 Works Cited

bjaworski. “How Academic Stress and Digital Learning Impact Students’ Mental Health.”

KVC Health Systems, 21 Feb. 2023,

www.kvc.org/blog/how-academic-stress-and-digital-learning-impact-students-menta

l-health/#:~:text=Research%20shows%20academic%20stress%20leads,as%20well

%20as%20they%20could. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.

Bullying and Absenteeism: Information for State and Local Education Agencies What

Does the Research Say?

www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/pdf/fs_bullying_absenteeism.pdf.

“Education Boosts Mental Health.” Pearsonaccelerated.com, 12 Jan. 2022,

www.pearsonaccelerated.com/blog/education-boosts-mental-health/#:~:text=Researc

h%20shows%20that%20education%20can,you%20build%20better%20coping%20

mechanisms. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.

“Student Stress 101: Understanding Academic Stress | JED.” The Jed Foundation, 9 Mar.

2023,

jedfoundation.org/resource/understanding-academic-stress/#:~:text=But%20research

%20shows%20that%20feeling,%2C%20substance%20abuse%2C%20and%20anxiet

y. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.

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 Argument Essay Rubric

Skill Not Yet Foundational Proficient Advanced

Identifies a basic claim Appears in first Thesis establishes a

Thesis paragraph complex claim

Thesis establishes a Establishes

topic and a claim counter-argument in
claim

Topic sentences Topic sentences have Topic sentences have

Claims/Reasons contain basic claims clear and distinct clear and distinct
claims that relate to claims that relate to
the thesis the thesis and make
nuanced points that
consider alternate
perspectives or
counterarguments

Uses some brief Uses multiple pieces Uses a variety of

Evidence examples, or one of evidence (personal evidence (see
example, to support experience, anecdotes, previous column) that
each claim; may all be survey, research etc.) supports each claim;
personal experience to support each claim different types of
evidence in each body
paragraph

Use of reliable outside

sources

Brief explanation of Explains how Provides strong

Analysis how evidence evidence supports explanations of how
supports topic topic sentence/claim evidence supports
sentence of individual of individual topic sentence and the
paragraphs paragraphs and the thesis while also
thesis considering
counterarguments
Includes at least 2
concessions in body Seamlessly mentions
paragraphs concession, and offers
response/rebuttal

Counter- Makes some mention Structure Well-structured and

Argument of opposing argument counter-argument effective
which: counter-argument
Mentions the which:
opposing argument, Establishes an aspect
some mention of how of the opposing
 opposing argument argument, clearly and
may be disproven logically disproves the
argument
Some elements missing Heading is correctly No errors in MLA
MLA Format or some errors in MLA formatted format
format
Pages are numbered

In-text citations are

correctly formatted (if
sources are used)

Works Cited format:

hanging indent,
double-spaced,
alphabetized, starts on
a new page (if sources
are used)

Works Cited: each

source entry is in
correct MLA format (if
sources are used)
Shows evidence of Quotes are correctly Quotes are correctly
Conventions basic proofreading integrated most of the integrated
time (if sources are
used) Shows evidence of
careful proofreading
Follows essay
organization (claims in Includes fluid
topic sentence; transitions between
evidence; analysis; ideas
concluding sentences)
Eliminates wordiness
Shows evidence of
proofreading

Utilizes mostly simple Some varied sentence Consistently varied

Fluency sentence structures structures sentence structures

Some use of advanced Advanced use of

vocabulary vocabulary; including
use of active verbs