INEE Background Paper on Psychosocial Support and Social and Emotional Learning for Children and Youth in Emergency Settings

The purpose of the paper is to clarify relevant terminologies and approaches relating to psychosocial well-being and social and emotional learning (SEL) in education in crisis-affected contexts, and to explore how psychosocial support (PSS) and social and emotional learning relate to one another.

 In addition to an overview of the concepts of PSS and SEL, the paper includes various considerations for training, supervision, and well-being as well as tips and guidance on adopting a gender perspective on the implementation of PSS and SEL programming. The paper also includes an overview of the impact of conflict and natural disasters on children’s well-being and the related risk factors and impact of toxic stress on brain development . The target audiences for this paper are education practitioners, academics, and policy-makers working in education in emergencies and protracted crises and the various sections include references to the specific entry points for each. The paper goes on to define education in emergencies as the educational responses—formal and non-formal—that are appropriate in immediate and sudden emergencies, and to the provision of education during chronic crises and early post-crisis reconstruction phases (International Network for Education in Emergencies [INEE], 2010; UNESCO, 2006). The paper’s annexes include a comprehensive list of resources including overviews of PSS and SEL programs and initiatives globally and related tools, a list of references consulted in the drafting of the paper with links to related tools and guides and a resource analysis for programs to support the training of teachers in emergencies.