Importance of a sense of belonging

When students feel a sense of belonging at school, they feel included, accepted, and welcome.

They may feel like they are part of a group and are not alone. They respect their peers, teachers, and school community; show care and compassion for their peers; trust and feel attached to their teachers; and be more likely to attend school regularly.

Feeling a sense of belonging at school may be particularly important for children and youth affected by crises, as students can regain trust and the positive connections to their social groups and communities that may have been lost through experiences of displacement, disruption of social structures and violence.

Creating an environment in which children experience compassion, caring, and inclusion will serve to rebuild a sense of belonging. Going to school and feeling like a student also helps crisis-affected children and youth regain a sense of hope for the future.

Helping students to feel connected to their school and class helps them to feel that they have a support network. In many countries, research on events ranging from armed conflict to isolated armed attacks shows that having a strong support network is strongly correlated to emotional well-being and healing after trauma.

It is a protective mechanism for students to counter stress and trauma. People with no support network or with a negative support network (in which supporters undermine or belittle the person and/or the traumatic experience) are more likely to experience long-term distress (Hobfall, 2007).

Moreover, if a student feels connected to his or her school, he or she will generally internalise shared values of the school, thus demonstrating less misconduct, higher self-esteem, respect for teachers and peers, and higher educational achievements.

Furthermore, a strong sense of community in a classroom can diminish some of the negative psychological and behavioural reactions to adverse situations, such as poverty and conflict (Solomon, 1995).

There are various techniques which teachers can use to create a sense of belonging among their students and strengthen their student identity.

You will explore some of these techniques next.