Safe Spaces, Sound Minds: Creating Inclusive School Environments that Enhance Perceived Safety and Improve Mental Health

A lack of perceived school safety has been identified as the strongest predictor of mental health difficulties in adolescents, with bullying and peer victimisation one of the most common causes of feeling unsafe at school. However, school staff, architects and policymakers are increasingly aware of the impact of a school’s physical environment on students’ perceived safety and wellbeing.

As part of our CSI UWA research webinar series, Dr Jacinta Francis explored features of the school physical environment that help to soothe or comfort students experiencing social, emotional, and behavioural problems, as well as factors influencing the inclusion of all-gender toilets in Western Australian schools.

Presenter

Dr Jacinta Francis is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Impact, The University of Western Australia. She has over 20 years of health promotion and public health research experience exploring how school and neighbourhood built, social and policy environments impact health outcomes, including mental health, bullying behaviour, sense of community, physical activity, and active transport.