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The majority of high school and university students in Sweden feel safe at school, according to a new survey from Aftonbladet/Demoskop.
But despite that, there are several points of concern that contribute to increased stress and anxiety among students.
– Right now I have a lot of sleep deprivation and residual stress from last week’s exams, says Kristin Rosen, a student at the Royal Institute of Technology.
Worry about failing exams, humiliation on social media and the fear of shootings are some of the factors weighing on high school and college students in Sweden.
– Sometimes I think that my school could be attacked during school hours. But I don’t think so. I am most worried about the studies and high school work, says Ridwan Said-Hussein student at Solna high school.
Of the respondents, 89 percent state that they feel safe in their school environment. But at the same time there are fears that affect their everyday life.
Fear of failure and violence
The main concern is failing exams or tests, a fear for 56 percent of respondents.
Additionally, 11 percent of students feel concerned about being publicly humiliated on social media, while 7 percent fear a shooting will occur at or near their school.
– When I was younger, some incidents happened, such as when other students enter the school and there are fights. Then you feel insecure, says Ndip Mveng from Solna high school.
Bullying is also a source of concern for 6 percent of the students, which shows that even though the perceived security is high, the feeling of vulnerability remains among some of the young people.
Students change their behavior
The students who answered that they are afraid of any of these worries were also asked if their worries have affected their behavior. The answers show that many have changed their behavior to avoid the situations they are afraid of. Above all, this applies to bullying, where a full 70 percent of those who worry about this have taken measures to avoid being exposed.
When it comes to fear of social humiliation online, 55 percent of the concerned students have changed their behavior, for example by avoiding posting or interacting on social media in the same way as before.