In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Among the massive shutdowns that occurred across the United States in response, all K-12 schools in California closed to protect the health of students. However, such a closure and its resulting consequences were associated with a host of negative mental health implications for youth. Furthermore, many of these youth may not have had adequate resources to tackle issues impacting their psyche in this unprecedented time. Social and emotional learning (SEL), a method in which children can acquire the knowledge and skills to understand and manage emotions, has a proven track record of positive social, emotional, educational, and career consequences. The California Department of Education should convene a task force to develop guidelines for local school districts that provide all K-12 students in the state with effective SEL to assist them in mental health recovery from the pandemic.

ObjectiveWe investigated the implications of Korean mothers' tendency to gain self‐worth from their children's achievements (i.e., child‐based self‐worth) for child outcomes.BackgroundWe tested the role of psychological control in mediating the link between mothers' child‐based self‐worth and child outcomes. The moderating roles of contextual (i.e., school levels) and child characteristics (i.e., perceived maternal sacrifice) in this process were examined.MethodMothers and their children in elementary (n = 162) and in middle and high school (n = 172) were recruited. Mothers reported on their child‐based self‐worth and psychological control, and children reported on their perception of maternal sacrifice and their depression and hyperactivity.ResultsMothers' child‐based self‐worth predicted psychological control, which in turn, related to children's depression and hyperactivity. The link between maternal child‐based self‐worth and psychological control was stronger in the middle and high school sample. Children's perceived sacrifice attenuated the effects of psychological control on child outcomes.ConclusionMiddle and high school (vs. elementary) mothers with high child‐based self‐worth may be more vulnerable to exhibiting controlling parenting. The relationship between maternal child‐based self‐worth and child outcomes may vary by contextual and child characteristics.ImplicationsFindings denote the implications of parenting behaviors derived from parents' self‐concerns in child outcomes, as well as the role of children in parenting processes.

Over the last 10 years, the United States has witnessed a striking increase in school shootings (Riedman and O’Neil 2020). Most legislation addressing the issue has been focused on gun control with liberal states such as California passing stringent gun laws. However, it is important to acknowledge that the school shooting crisis is a multifaceted problem that will not be resolved by gun regulations alone. California should establish social-emotional learning programs in K-12 schools to help address the underlying issues that drive individuals to gun violence. These programs will provide students with the skills necessary to reduce aggressive behaviors as well as increase overall student well-being and academic achievement (Espelage et al. 2013). Along with gun control measures, California’s policymakers should establish social-emotional learning programs in K-12 schools to reduce the number of school shooting incidents. Effective implementation of such programs could transform California from the state with the highest rate of school shootings in the country to an exemplary model for other states to follow in tackling the school shooting crisis.