Right to Belong: Tackling Loneliness and Ostracism during Childhood and Youth (R-to-B)

Public description of the goals at the beginning of the project

The main aim of R-to-B is to find context-related (families, peer groups, social media, and schools) solutions to child and youth loneliness and ostracism to minimize the risk of inequality, marginalization, mental disorders, and radicalization. The study includes biomarkers, large-scale national and international surveys, register data, action research, and RCT-based interventions to study the complex phenomenon of social outsiderhood and create societal-level actions and practical solutions to enhance children’s and adolescents’ psycho-social well-being, agency, and safety. R-to-B is a consortium of four leading universities with experts in educational psychology, sociology, medicine, child psychiatry, neuroscience, economics, and information technology. Important partners include the ITLA Child Foundation, EDUFIN and THL. R-to-B has intensive collaboration with international experts and national stakeholders, including ministries, police administration, NGOs and municipalities.