World Teen Mental Wellness Day
Each year, on 2 March, we commemorate World Teen Mental Wellness Day, a date dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of mental wellbeing among adolescents.
The existing body of literature provides substantial evidence of the profoundly harmful consequences that violence has for health, and particularly for the mental health of young people. Adolescents frequently experience signs of anxiety, depression, and other forms of psychological distress. In many cases, when the underlying causes of such symptoms are examined, they are found to be rooted in violence and a lack of egalitarian and meaningful interactions.
The eradication of violence is therefore an urgent priority if we are to secure the emotional well-being of the adolescent population. Scientific evidence has identified the existence of a coercive dominant discourse, which links affective-sexual attraction with violent behaviours while portraying egalitarian and non-violent attitudes as less desirable. As a result, this coercive dominant discourse contributes to the normalisation of violence.
However, research has also demonstrated the existence of Successful Educational Actions, those grounded in scientific evidence and proven to generate social impact, which can contribute to overcoming this coercive dominant discourse. Among the key features of these actions is their emphasis on activating bystanders: encouraging those who are aware of violent situations not to remain passive, but rather to intervene in support of the victim. It is equally important to recognise that when bystanders take a stand, they may themselves become targets of violence aimed at silencing them and isolating the victim. This phenomenon, known as Isolating Violence, has already been recognised in legislation adopted by various parliaments.
One such Successful Educational Action, grounded in scientific evidence with social impact, is the Dialogic Feminist Gatherings. This action for the prevention of gender violence is based on egalitarian dialogue and the collective analysis of scientific evidence with social impact. It has already shown positive outcomes across diverse populations, including girls in special education settings, adolescent girls in out-of-home care, university students, and women without academic qualifications.
These Dialogic Feminist Gatherings have demonstrated results in preventive socialisation against violence among adolescent girls by challenging the dominant coercive discourse that associates attraction with violence and by promoting attraction towards egalitarian relationships. Importantly, this action is accessible and can be implemented by all citizens from diverse contexts.
Predoctoral researcher at the University of Barcelona