Corrected: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Jimmy Gallivan鈥檚 age and grade. He is 16, and a junior.
For teenagers, talking about the election can feel a little taboo, said Jimmy Gallivan.
鈥淚 definitely see talk about it and stuff like that, but I think a lot of students feel afraid. Like, if I speak out about my opinions in such a divisive environment, what are the consequences going to be?鈥� said the 16-year-old junior in Somers, N.Y. 鈥淥ne side is going to completely disagree with you most of the time. It鈥檚 a lot of鈥攁lmost鈥攆ear, in a sense.鈥�
Most students today likely can鈥檛 remember a presidential election that wasn鈥檛 steeped in divisiveness, personal attacks, and identity politics that can feel frightening for those from marginalized backgrounds. And this year, the election is occurring at a time when many schools are discouraged from having tough conversations in class, as 18 states have passed legislation or other policies prohibiting teachers from talking about 鈥渄ivisive concepts.鈥� More than half of teachers said they don鈥檛 plan on talking about the election in their classes, partly because they worry students wouldn鈥檛 be respectful of each other, or that parents will complain.
It鈥檚 not that students aren鈥檛 politically engaged. Researchers have seen students continue to organize and advocate: They鈥檝e staged and have organized protests around mental health, reproductive rights, and police brutality. The number of young people likely to vote is increasing, according to survey data. The student press also grapples with national dialogue, experts say.
But more young people are reluctant to discuss politics, researchers say, especially without a space to safely navigate those discussions in such a polarized environment. Compounding the fear of speaking out is a general sense of weariness for some students who feel like they can鈥檛 affect national politics鈥攑articularly in the White House.
Jimmy said he thinks his peers feel 鈥渢ired.鈥�
鈥淚 think as a student, sometimes it鈥檚 a little tiring because we can鈥檛 vote yet,鈥� Jimmy said. 鈥淔or me at least, I want to focus on my academics, I want to make sure I鈥檓 learning a lot, I鈥檓 doing well in my classes鈥攆riends, community, joining clubs and stuff. For such a large divisive issue to come along, it鈥檚 a little hard, because it鈥檚 something we have to balance on top of everything else that already is happening in our lives.鈥�
Without the traditional avenue for civic participation like voting, the presidency can feel unmovable, said Heather Kennedy, a professor of community and behavioral health at the Colorado School of Public Health.
鈥淭he heartbeat of America right now is this political contest and it鈥檚 quite stressful, even as an adult with the ability to vote, the ability to have action,鈥� Kennedy said. 鈥淚 think apathy, to me, is a form of protection for young people, that they protect themselves by keeping this political race at a longer distance.鈥�
Researchers say students are more reluctant to weigh in
Zoe Logan鈥攁 17-year-old senior in Ada, Okla., whose home state passed one of the first 鈥渄ivisive concepts鈥� bill limiting how educators can discuss race and sexuality in the classroom鈥攕aid the election hasn鈥檛 come up much in school from her teachers.
鈥淭hey kind of have to walk on eggshells about what they talk about. The election鈥檚 kind of a touchy subject,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 hear what kids say, and I鈥檓 assuming it鈥檚 mainly what they鈥檙e hearing at home.鈥�
As the child of a teacher鈥攁nd an aspiring teacher herself鈥攕he thinks these conversations are scary for teachers everywhere. Still, Zoe said, she thinks the election should be talked about in school.
鈥淚t feels like we鈥檙e almost kind of stuck,鈥� she said.
In the blue state of Washington, high school senior Gavin Cruz said his Advanced Placement Government and Politics class in Olympia has delved into the election cycle, and he said the school allows for open dialogue. It鈥檚 up to students to be as outspoken as they want鈥攁nd many aren鈥檛 because they don鈥檛 want to be judged, he said.
Gavin, who is 18 and plans to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris next week, said he thinks students should be politically active even if they can鈥檛 vote in this election.
鈥淭he community of tomorrow starts with the ideas of today,鈥� he said. 鈥淎lthough I鈥檓 a registered voter, and I鈥檓 happy to be one, you don鈥檛 have to be 18 to speak out about your ideas.鈥�
Survey data on college students have shown that they鈥檙e reluctant to express political opinions, said Jonathan Zimmerman, professor of education and history at the University of Pennsylvania. There鈥檚 no reason to imagine it鈥檇 be different for younger students, he said.
He empathizes with young people鈥檚 hesitance to speak out: There was no social media when he was a teenager. He didn鈥檛 have to worry about anything he said or wrote suddenly being broadcast to an audience of thousands鈥攐r millions鈥攚ho might disagree.
, published this spring by the Institute of Politics from the Harvard Kennedy School, found that one-third of college students are uncomfortable sharing their political opinions. Between the Barack Obama and Donald Trump presidencies, the number of students with that concern increased significantly, but the trend has stabilized in the last seven years, according to the study.
Another , conducted last fall by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a nonpartisan organization that defends free speech, found that more than a quarter of students (26 percent) censor themselves at least a few times a week in conversations with friends.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no doubt there鈥檚 some self-censorship at work,鈥� Zimmerman said about high schoolers鈥� reluctance to discuss politics.
But it鈥檚 imperative for schools to tackle these conversations, he said. A recent report from the American Historical Association found that nearly half of high school U.S. history teachers never received objections to the way they teach, meaning there鈥檚 room to have such conversations, he added.
鈥淪chools are supposed to teach us to talk across our differences,鈥� Zimmerman said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 precisely because the differences are so yawning, so gaping, so angry, that the schools are afraid to do what they should be doing.鈥�
Creating a space where tough conversations can be had
That鈥檚 not to say no schools are grappling with the election. At Rogers Park Middle School in Danbury, Conn., students are gearing up for a mock presidential election after all three grades took a class in understanding the government, said Principal Kristy Zaleta. They鈥檝e interviewed local candidates running for office for a school podcast. They鈥檝e learned what democracy is, what qualifications you need to run for office, and what the electoral college is.
鈥淚 think our teachers do a nice job at letting kids speak; we can disagree about things but we disagree agreeably. You have to let people speak, but also question: Why do you think that?鈥� Zaleta said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e really just coming at it from an educational standpoint, where the more you know, the better decisions you can make and the more of a critical thinker you can be.鈥�
Kennedy, the Colorado researcher, said it鈥檚 important to create a 鈥渃ontainer鈥� where young people feel like their perspectives can be held and challenged, where they can be wrong, where they can learn.
鈥淲ithout that container, political conversations in a very politically divisive society can cause harm,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important that adults who seek to engage young people in political conversations first create the container, and the trust, that is needed to be able to navigate those conversations with care and intentionality.鈥�
In her work, she鈥檚 coached adults on how to create group agreements for students before they head into tough conversations鈥攈aving students imagine that there are two different perspectives that are going to be discussed, and determine how they can keep each other safe, how they can hear each other, and what to do if they disagree.
鈥淚f adults facilitate that conversation well, they have a playbook designed by young people on how to engage in conversations in ways that can honor everybody鈥檚 perspectives, with a 鈥榮eeking to understand鈥� lens,鈥� Kennedy said.
