Understanding the Needs of Today’s Youth: Building Resilience, Empathy and Healthy Coping Skills

Author: Mahalakshmi Rajagopal

Student suicide, whether among college students or school students, is a serious concern. While we may choose to address it from different angles, as a society we also need to reflect on the needs of children, adolescents and young adults that may be going unrecognised or unfulfilled.

Legal processes have their place, but this is an issue that needs to be understood and addressed from multiple perspectives. In this article, I would like to focus particularly on the psychological and social factors that can contribute to the distress experienced by young people.

What Pressures Are Today’s Youth Facing?

There may be several factors contributing to emotional distress among young people. These can include:

• Bullying
• Verbal or physical abuse
• Difficulty coping with academic stress and the pressure to excel
• Not being able to express or pursue the professional path they desire
• Difficulty sharing what they are going through
• Social insecurities
• Peer pressure
• Pressure from parents and faculty

This is certainly not a complete list. However, reflecting on these areas may help us understand some of the challenges young people experience and where change may be needed.

Parents and Faculty Need to Bring a Shift in Perspective

The adults who play an important role in a young person’s life—particularly parents and teachers—need to remain open to understanding their perspective.

Even today, in some families, parents make significant decisions about their child’s career. A young person who wishes to take some time after Class 12 to understand their interests or decide on a career path may not always be given that space.

When a student is admitted to a course or stream that they do not connect with, academic performance can become another source of pressure. They may find it difficult to understand the subjects, remain interested in the course or perform according to expectations.

At the same time, faculty members focused on academic results may find it difficult to accept students failing or receiving low marks. Advice can gradually turn into pressure, coercion or even taunts when expectations are not met.

What may sometimes be overlooked is that we are dealing with a teenager or young adult who is still developing emotionally and trying to understand their place in the world.

When repeated pressure comes from the people and environments that matter most to them, the young person may begin to perceive the world and their future as unfriendly or unaccepting—particularly when they are not doing well academically.

Such situations can contribute to significant emotional distress and unhealthy ways of coping.

Making Space for Professional Help

Another concern is the lack of psychological awareness among some parents and faculty members.

Young people who are struggling may sometimes be discouraged from seeking professional support. The belief that something is simply “all in the head” can result in their emotional difficulties being dismissed rather than understood.

Parents and educators need to recognise that seeking professional help when someone is struggling should not be discouraged.

A young person needs to know that asking for help is an available option.

Give Young People Time, Space and the Freedom to Think

Parents and faculty need to make an effort to understand the perspectives of children and adolescents.

Young people need space to work through decisions about their future. They also need sufficient time rather than rigid deadlines within which they are expected to have everything figured out.

The world experienced by younger generations is changing. Adults need to remain willing to broaden their own perspectives and understand these changes rather than expecting young people to fit entirely within older ways of thinking.

Resilience Needs to Be Built From Childhood

One of the most important things adults can do is help children develop healthy coping skills from an early age.

Children need to learn how to face:

• Non-acceptance
• Failure
• Challenges
• Differences in perspectives
• The consequences of their own actions

They also need opportunities to learn assertiveness, empathy and respect for people who may think differently from them.

A difference in perspective does not necessarily have to make another person an opponent.

Violence needs to be actively discouraged—including violence directed towards oneself.

Teaching Self-Compassion and Self-Respect

Parents and teachers can also help young people understand that they are unique and worthy of respect.

Children need to learn that an action, mistake or failure does not define their entire identity. What they do in a particular situation and who they are as a person do not have to become the same thing in their minds.

They can be encouraged to practise:

• Self-compassion
• Healthy self-reflection instead of constant self-criticism
• Gratitude
• Respect for themselves
• Empathy towards others

At first, some of these ideas may sound idealistic. But at their core, they are simple.

When children gradually learn to believe in themselves and respect themselves, they may become better equipped to deal with criticism, disappointment and difficult situations without allowing those experiences to define their entire sense of self.

Building Resilience and Healthy Coping Skills

The larger goal needs to be building resilience in children so that they grow into adolescents and young adults with healthier ways of coping with challenges.

Resilience does not mean that a young person will never struggle. It means helping them develop the inner resources to face difficulties, seek support, understand their emotions and move through challenges in healthier ways.

The same values can also help create healthier interactions between young people. Teaching empathy, respect, inclusion and acceptance of differences can contribute to reducing behaviours such as bullying and abuse.

For children to genuinely learn these values, however, adults need to believe in and practise them too.

Inclusion and diversity cannot simply be lessons taught to children. They need to be reflected in the attitudes and behaviour of the adults around them.

The Need for a Wider Social Shift

Supporting today’s youth requires more than responding after a serious problem has already developed.

Parents, educators and society as a whole need to reflect on how we respond to failure, academic performance, career choices, emotional struggles, differences and requests for help.

Legal systems will continue to play their role. Alongside them, however, we need a deeper social and psychological shift—one that gives young people the space to be heard, develop resilience, seek support and grow into emotionally healthier adults.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some of the pressures faced by today’s youth?

Young people may experience academic pressure, expectations from parents or faculty, peer pressure, bullying, verbal or physical abuse, social insecurities, uncertainty about career choices and difficulty expressing what they are going through. Different young people may experience these pressures differently.

How can parents support young people in making career decisions?

Parents can listen to their child’s perspective, allow time for exploration and avoid imposing rigid timelines or career decisions. Giving young people space to understand their interests and abilities can make the process of choosing a future path more thoughtful and meaningful.

Why is resilience important for children and adolescents?

Resilience helps young people develop healthier ways of responding to failure, criticism, disappointment and other challenges. Building resilience from childhood can support healthier coping as they move through adolescence and adulthood.

How can teachers and faculty better support students?

Teachers can recognise that academic performance is only one part of a young person’s experience. Listening, avoiding unnecessary pressure or taunts, respecting individual differences and remaining open when a student is struggling can help create a more supportive environment.

Why is self-compassion important for young people?

Self-compassion can help young people understand that mistakes, failures or difficult experiences do not define their entire identity. It encourages healthier self-reflection rather than excessive self-criticism.

Should young people be encouraged to seek professional help?

When a young person is struggling and feels the need for professional support, that need should not be dismissed. Parents and educators can help by remaining open to professional help rather than treating emotional difficulties as something the young person should simply overcome on their own.

What role do empathy, inclusion and diversity play in supporting youth?

Learning to respect people with different perspectives can help young people interact with others in healthier ways. Adults also need to practise empathy, inclusion and acceptance themselves so that children experience these values in everyday life rather than only hearing about them.