Boarding school is a harsh environment where children are abused, often by teachers and even other students. This can lead to physical and psychological damage.

Children are forced to hide their emotions. This can be a huge trauma for them. They are told that tears are not allowed and that they should be happy.

Sense of belonging

Boarding schools in Delhi are often perceived as places where students learn to live away from home and become independent. They also have the opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds and develop lasting friendships. However, some students struggle to feel a sense of belonging at school. This can be caused by factors such as lack of social support or feelings of isolation.

A sense of belonging is a core human need with important psychological and physical consequences. However, the definition of belonging is broad, and there is little consensus on how it should be measured or targeted. Existing measures typically focus on state-like outcomes and do not address the dynamic nature of belonging.

The sense of belonging is a complex, emergent construct that encompasses a person’s competencies, opportunities, motivations, and perceptions. It is a critical factor for psychological health, and many efforts to promote belongingness have emerged. However, these initiatives are largely untested and need to be more rigorously studied. Moreover, they need to be developed with specific contexts in mind.

Sense of isolation

A child who has been ripped from their family home under the guise of a boarding school can feel alone. This can be exacerbated by a culture that is centered on competition and elitism. Boarding schools can also encourage sexual abuse, and children are unlikely to report abuse because they feel that they are special and that their parents are sending them away on a Darwinian struggle.

These conditions are not only damaging to the psychological health of a child but can lead to a host of problems in later life. For example, many boarding school survivors suffer from anxiety and difficulty forming close relationships. They may even tend to drink or use drugs. This is because the trauma of being a boarder is often re-enacted in their adult lives as they try to hide the inner pain from others.

The good news is that there are ways to help your child deal with these problems. A therapist can help them understand the root causes of their problems and teach them to cope.

Sense of inferiority

Boarding schools are education facilities that separate students from their families and communities. They have existed for millennia and range from elite private schools to institutions that segregate marginalized children and assimilate them into a dominant culture.

When students feel inferior, they may have trouble functioning in social relationships. These feelings can lead to anxiety, depression, and even suicide. It is important to identify and understand these feelings so that you can seek help.

For example, Native American students at boarding schools were often separated from their family units and cultural practices for years. Their language and traditions were replaced with English, and their hair was cut, causing them to lose their cultural identities. They were also forced to take English names and give up their traditional religious practices. This was called “civilization by kidnapping.”

Studies have found that social exclusion and inferiority feelings are correlated with ruminant thinking. Rumination is a key factor in this relationship, as it increases the likelihood of both. This finding could have implications for developing interventions to prevent or treat feelings of inferiority in boarding school students.

Sense of elitism

Boarding schools can have an elitist feel to them. This is because they are often for rich children and have a high tuition rate. They also have a smaller student-to-teacher ratio, allowing teachers to provide more individual attention to students. This helps students learn and succeed.

In some societies, boarding schools are considered the most prestigious educational option (such as Eton and Harrow), while in others, they are used for various purposes. For example, some boarding schools were designed to assimilate Indigenous children in Canada and the United States, while China uses boarding schools to educate rural children.

Although boarding schools are often elitist, they also offer a unique opportunity for students to gain an advanced education and map it into their future aspirations. Many of these schools are also pioneers in academic innovation. However, they are not immune to the problems associated with boarding schools, including bullying and sexual abuse. Many ex-boarders seek therapy for general depression and relationship difficulties, which can be linked to the emotional trauma caused by boarding school.

Sense of loneliness

A boarding school experience can be an emotionally distressing one, and children who are sent to board often suffer from a range of problems. The trauma that is inflicted on children who are forced to live away from their parents can have a lasting impact on their quality of life and the way they interact with others. It can also lead to mental health issues in adulthood.

Children who are sent to boarding schools can suffer from a sense of loneliness, and they may feel like no one understands their emotions. This can cause them to develop a skewed sense of self-worth based on performance rather than connection with their parents. Moreover, they can be subjected to bullying and a lack of support as they are isolated from their parents.

Psychologist Joy Schaverian coined the term ‘Boarding School Syndrome’ to describe a range of symptoms that can be experienced by children who are sent to boarding schools. She argues that this phenomenon is not just homesickness and can have severe consequences on their long-term development.

In summary, children's feelings about boarding school are diverse and complex. While some thrive in a structured and resource-rich environment, others may struggle with homesickness and the pressures of a new and demanding setting. Support from family and the school community can greatly help ease the transition and enhance the overall experience.