Enhancing adolescent social and emotional well‑being

OECD Papers on Well-being and Inequalities

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The OECD Papers on Well-being and Inequalities Series – managed by the OECD Centre on Well-being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity (WISE) – features papers on the measurement agenda for well-being, inclusion, sustainability and equal opportunity as well as papers seeking to deepen the understanding of the drivers of these issues, the ways in which they interact and how they evolve. These papers are prepared by OECD staff, external experts or by outside consultants working on OECD projects.

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Child Well-being Policy Paper

This paper provides an evidence base to support the design of strategies to improve adolescent well-being that are tailored to boys and girls. Drawing on cross-national data, it identifies key trends, differences between girls and boys, and distinct patterns of vulnerability, while highlighting the role that norms of femininity and masculinity and related stereotypes can play in shaping these outcomes. The analysis points to specific areas where policy action is needed – such as addressing higher levels of academic disengagement and risk-taking behaviours among boys, and greater exposure to body image pressures and online harms among girls. It also emphasises the role of supportive environments across families, schools, neighbourhoods and digital spaces in mitigating these risks.

 

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