Schools are meant to foster connection, but new research suggests they may also be emotionally isolating spaces for many young people.
A new Flinders University study is challenging the idea that schools are always safe and social spaces for young people, suggesting instead that they can be emotionally isolating environments where loneliness is shaped by harmful social dynamics.
Co-designed in partnership with the South Australian Youth Forum, the research reveals that bullying and other unwanted social interactions are key contributors to feelings of loneliness in schools.
Rather than being caused by a lack of connection, lead author, Dr Ben Lohmeyer, says loneliness can often stem from the presence of undesirable peers.
"Unlike older people, young people are often forced to spend extended periods of time around others they don't get along with," says Dr Lohmeyer from the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work.
"So rather than loneliness being about isolation, in this case it can be about being surrounded by people who make you feel unsafe."
Drawing on the sociological theories of Pierre Bourdieu – a French sociologist – the study introduces the concept of "affective violence" which is emotional harm that emerges from social systems, rather than just individual behaviour.
Dr Lohmeyer says that schools can be emotionally unsafe spaces where social hierarchies and exclusion shape how students feel and belong.
"Our findings challenge traditional approaches that frame loneliness and bullying as individual problems," he says.
"Instead, the study positions them within broader patterns of inequality and emotional harm that are embedded in school systems."
This shift aligns with international developments, including UNESCO's redefinition of bullying as a systemic issue.
"We believe that loneliness deserves similar attention in education policy and practice," he says.
"We'd like to see more qualitative research into loneliness and practical interventions, such as creating safe spaces in schools for students to retreat from harmful interactions, an approach already used in the Specialised Assistance School for Youth (SASY)."
"Recognising loneliness as a form of social violence opens up new ways to support student wellbeing and challenges us to create emotionally safe and inclusive school environments," says Dr Lohmeyer.
The researchers conclude that creating safe spaces in schools could help alleviate loneliness, however given the relatively small sample size of this trial, they recommend multiple strategies, and more research is needed to support young people and to combat loneliness and bullying in schools.
Acknowledgements: This project was funded by Flinders University's Impact Seed Funding.
The paper, 'Affective economies of loneliness in school: Bullying, violence, and undesirable social connections', by B. A. Lohmeyer & The South Australian Youth Forum, was published in Critical Studies in Education. DOI://10.1080/17508487.2025.2555310
