A Catholic Christian framework to support educators in fostering healthy emotional development in children and adolescents

Children and adolescents who are able to process and respond to emotions in healthy ways demonstrate improved academic success, better social relationships that enhance well-being and reduced problem behaviours. These social and emotional skills can be learned throughout the lifespan and explicitly taught in school interventions. This article applies a comparative methodology that places contemporary emotional regulation theories in dialogue with Saint Thomas Aquinas’ philosophical and theological insights concerning emotion and virtue. It develops an integrative framework that draws upon key findings from emotional regulation theories but integrates Aquinas’ insights of the human person. Emotional regulation theories propose that when students are able to identify emotional awareness and emotional goals and select useful strategies, the emotions may be moved through or controlled that result in behaviour changes to facilitate the learning process. Aquinas agrees of the significance of self-awareness and the formation of emotions. He will emphasise, however, that emotional capacities, when guided by reason and will, can be shaped by virtue and when internalised may be applied over the life span for human flourishing. The implication for Catholic educators is that students can direct their emotions toward the virtuous life rather than being dominated by them. This basic self-knowledge is not only to facilitate learning but enables true growth in genuine happiness, mature freedom, and true flourishing.