The new school year has recently started, and many youngsters are slowly adjusting to a new grade, as well as new classmates and teachers. Attending school is crucial for a child's learning and healthy psychological development, and failure to attend school regularly can negatively impact both. But for some, these changes can lead to fear and frustration, leading them to try avoiding school. These situations lead to concern for families and teachers.
For those children who don't want to attend school and actively avoid it, researchers and psychologists have adopted the term "school refusal" (or SR), which is closely related to emotional distress and affects between 1% and 15% of adolescents in the West. In China, the situation may be even less optimistic. SR typically manifests as fear, anxiety, or other emotional distress that leads to frequent absences from school. In earlier studies, SR was often used interchangeably with the term "school phobia," but because “phobia” does not entirely describe the phenomena related to SR, the term school refusal is now preferred.
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Adolescents might refuse to go to school for many reasons. Some are related to the school environment (bullying, complicated relationships with teachers, excessive competition and academic pressure, unmet needs related to a neurodiverse condition such as autism or ADHD, and/or adverse relationships with their peers), some with individual problems (anxiety or other mental health issues), and some are related to factors present in the life of the young person (bereavement, family relationships issues, or other traumatic experiences).
Adolescents with SR have lower attendance rates, show anxiety when at school, and often complain of physical discomfort (stomach aches, headaches, etc.) to get out of class. At school, they may appear in a "bad" mood, angry or upset, quiet or withdrawn.
School refusal differs from truancy as the parents are generally aware of their child's whereabouts. The student typically faces consequences such as social isolation and poor academic performance. If the situation is not treated, it can lead to higher dropout rates, social difficulties, and mental health problems.
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Psychiatrists believe that SR is a serious problem, and early intervention is crucial for these adolescents' future development. This includes careful exploration of what is going on with the young person, early communication between parents and teachers, and working together to make any necessary adjustments in school that might facilitate the student’s return.
Parents can help their children by creating a healthy morning routine, finding strategies to manage their child’s anxiety, recognizing their efforts and small achievements, and, most of all, taking some of the pressure off the child by creating time and space for them to relax, unwind, and do what they enjoy.
It’s difficult for parents to understand and deal with SR. They may express negative sentiments that lack understanding or make the child feel recognized, such as "We didn't have such problems growing up!" or "Kids today are just too fragile!" While these attitudes are understandable, ultimately, they are unhelpful for the child.
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In the current mental health monitoring system, school refusal is often quickly diagnosed as a disorder and treated as such. Frequently, it is brushed off or not given appropriate attention. This approach may not benefit the child's "condition" and could make them even more resistant to attending school. This raises a significant question for adults: how do we distinguish between normal psychological reactions due to developmental and social/relational factors and those that signify a disorder? This is something that children, parents, teachers, and psychologists need to discuss together.
If you are experiencing difficulties with SR,
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