Fighting to be Heard: Impact of fights on student mental health in the Valley
Angela Chen
As the school year comes to a close, KESQ is taking a deeper look into the psychology behind school fights and what schools are doing to address it. The Covid-19 pandemic worsened behavior issues across the nation, and schools had to pivot to address the troubling trend. These fights can create hostile environments and affect student mental health.
“I think it can cause a lot of fear and anxiety and sadness in the kids that are viewing it [the fights],” said Melissa Hawkins, a mental health therapist at the Betty Ford Center. “I also think it questions their own safety, right? Like, am I going to be safe? Is this going to happen to me?”
Here in the Coachella Valley, parents and students sent videos of fights into the KESQ newsroom. Now, years later, fights continue to be an issue at some schools.
I-team reporter Angela Chen looked into school suspensions across the desert — and found an interesting shift.