Welcoming environments: Preventing problematic substance use through positive youth development

School communities can help to prevent problematic substance use among students by fostering welcoming environments.

What the research says

The school climate can have a profound impact on students' well-being and risk of problematic substance use.

A positive school climate actively promotes healthy behaviours and social interactions. It exists when all members of the school community feel safe, included, respected and accepted ^{Footnote 1}. The school climate is dynamic and shaped in large part by the people, policies, practices and programs within the school community.

In addition to contributing to the school climate, these elements of school communities can be bolstered to prevent problematic substance use by enhancing important protective factors (e.g., self-efficacy, social connectedness, school engagement and healthy relationships with supportive adults) among students. Many of these protective factors also reflect important resources that support well-being. Positive school climates are also associated with healthy social norms related to substance use (i.e., which neither stigmatizes nor glamourizes substance use) ^{Footnote 2}.

Healthy, supportive relationships are the foundation of a positive school climate.

A key component of a positive school climate is healthy, supportive relationships between students and non-parental adults, including teachers, administrators and other school staff. These relationships can buffer risk of problematic substance use and other negative outcomes (e.g., conduct problems and risky sexual behaviours) among youth.

Adults in school communities can serve as formal or informal mentors, providing youth with guidance and social and emotional support. These relationships are unique, since these adults are able to offer resources that peers may be unable to provide (e.g., referrals to counseling for mental health problems or problematic substance use) and youth may prefer to discuss some topics with non-parental (vs. parental) adults, due to fears of embarrassment or reprisal in their family ^{Footnote 3}.

These relationships can stoke youths' self-esteem, feelings of social support, self-efficacy and control, as well as sense of accountability ^{Footnote 3}, which are protective factors that reduce risk of problematic substance use. Similarly, adults in school communities can directly or indirectly encourage youth to adopt healthy, positive behaviours, attitudes and interests, while avoiding risk behaviours like problematic substance use ^{Footnote 4}.

Positive school climates are inclusive and protect and celebrate diverse identities.

Youth have unique lived experiences and diverse identities (e.g., based on ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, ability and faith, as well as the intersections of these identities). Though all students need safe and nurturing school environments, this is a particular concern for students that routinely experience discrimination and marginalization. Research reveals that 97.1% of Canadian teachers believe their school is 'safe' ^{Footnote 5}, yet 64.2% of LGBTQ2 (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer and Two-Spirit) students feel unsafe at school ^{Footnote 6}, suggesting more can be done to be inclusive and protect students.

School communities are well-poised to address concerns around students' safety and inclusion. For example, school communities can recognize the complexity and diversity of students' identities, affirm students' lived experiences in social interactions and classroom activities, use inclusive language, address negative language and behaviour and integrate varying experiences and perspectives in everyday teaching.

Efforts to support the well-being of marginalized students can help foster a positive school climate that benefits all students. For example, students who attend a school with a Gender and Sexuality Alliances/Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA) report feeling safer and experiencing a greater sense of belonging at school, hear fewer homophobic comments, indicate that their school is more supportive of LGBTQ2 students and can identify more supportive teachers ^{Footnote 5 Footnote 7}. Further, LGBTQ2 students who attend schools with GSAs experience less discrimination and victimization ^{Footnote 6}.

There are unique strategies school communities can use to enhance well-being and reduce problematic substance use among Indigenous youth. These include cultivating cultural identity and connectedness and facilitating engagement with traditional cultural activities (e.g., ceremonies and cultural events, classes on Indigenous languages and education on traditional food preparation or singing/dancing).

Strategies school communities can adopt to foster a welcoming environment

Apply the Comprehensive School Health Framework to inform school-based efforts to promote well-being

Welcoming environments can be fostered by applying a whole-school model focused on enhancing youths' well-being. For example, the Comprehensive School Health Framework is an internationally-recognized approach to supporting improvements in students' educational outcomes while addressing school health in a planned, integrated and holistic way ^{Footnote 8}. The Framework suggests school communities can use numerous complementary channels to enhance students' well-being.

Create safe, inclusive and welcoming learning environments

School communities can foster an environment in which everyone feels safe, included and welcomed through school policies and practices, features of the built environment and attention to everyday interactions with and between students.

Partake in anti-oppressive training and infuse learnings in teaching to create a culture where diversity is expected and respected

There is a growing recognition of the continuing harms associated with oppression, racism and other forms of discrimination, including harms related to the well-being of youth. This attention has coincided with the development of a wealth of resources on how to actively address these significant social issues within school communities.

For more information and additional resources, please visit the Preventing Problematic Substance Use through Positive Youth Development project website.

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Health, 2019 | Cat.: HP10-27/2019E-PDF | ISBN: 978-0-660-30011-5 (EN-PDF) | Pub.: 180888

The series of resources includes

• An infographic – Beyond Health Education... Preventing Problematic Substance Use by Enhancing Students’ Well-Being
• Research briefs
  • Promoting well-being
  • Effective programming
• Whiteboard videos
  • Promoting well-being
  • Welcoming environments
  • Effective programming