Dr. Sara Goldstein Speaks about Staying Safe and Maintaining Relationships for Children
Posted in: College News and Events
Dr. Sara Goldstein, Professor in the Family Science and Human Development Department, was featured on WCBS-NY CBS2 News Sunday regarding wearing masks to stay safe from COVID-19, and how that affects relationships between children.
She stated, “COVID-19 has changed the face of peer relationships completely for children and adolescents. Naturally, it has changed bullying. When children wear masks, the bottom part of their face is obviously covered. Kids are missing the social cues important for building positive peer relationships and understanding how someone else is feeling. Thereby, it’s hard to know how to respond to someone if they cannot see a smile or a grimace. We need the masks to stay physically safe, but it makes it more challenging to build positive social relationships. W would recommend parents, as much as is possible, to get the children outside with face-to- ace peer contact in a safe way.”