SCHOOL REFUSAL: INFORMATION FOR EDUCATORS

1 SCHOOL refusal : INFORMATION FOR EDUCATORSBy Mary B. Wimmer, PhDCarroll CollegePerhaps one of the more challenging scenarios for teachers and parents is when, for emotionalreasons, a child refuses to come to SCHOOL . In the past, the term SCHOOL phobiawas used to describethese children. Today, the broader term, SCHOOL refusal ,is used and recognizes the fact that children havesignificant problems attending SCHOOL for many reasons that are not necessarily the expression of a truephobia, such as separation or social anxiety. Just as there are many reasons why children refuse SCHOOL , there is considerable variation in theseverity of the behavior.

2 Severity of SCHOOL refusal ranges from frequent complaints about schoolattendance to part or full day absence from SCHOOL . For some children absences may last for entireweeks of SCHOOL or more. SCHOOL refusal occurs in approximately 2% of SCHOOL -age children althoughsome estimates are as high as 5%.Development of SCHOOL RefusalSchool refusal may be a child s response to anxiety over separation from a parent, anxiety aboutperformance situations such as taking tests or giving speeches, social anxiety, or other stressfulsituations at SCHOOL or home. These students show extreme distress about attending SCHOOL , includinghigh rates of physical complaints (stomachaches, headaches).

3 Their parents have knowledge of theabsences. Those students who are truant,in contrast to SCHOOL refusal students, generally hide their absencesfrom their parents, may be involved in antisocial activities, and typically do not show emotional distressabout attending or missing SCHOOL . SCHOOL refusal occurs at all ages but has been found to occur more frequently during major changesin children s lives such as entrance to kindergarten or the change from elementary to middle refusal also tends to occur with greater frequency following vacations and weekends. Stressfulevents that may trigger SCHOOL refusal include a move, changing schools, the death of a loved one, orparental divorce or even academic difficulties for some left untreated, SCHOOL refusal causes significant stress for parents.

4 Potential consequences ofprolonged SCHOOL refusal are severe, from lack of academic progress, failure to develop satisfactorysocial relationships, and significant family conflict to adult emotional of Students With SCHOOL RefusalCommon characteristics and features of students who refuse SCHOOL owing to emotional reasons arevaried, and include the following:Separation who refuse SCHOOL because of separation anxiety may be worriedabout the safety of a caregiver or other loved one and fear something bad will happen to that is common for these children to complain about going to SCHOOL and engage in morning battles beforeschool that may involve crying, yelling, kicking, or running away.

5 While many young children experienceseparation anxiety in preschool or before going to kindergarten, the behavior is more serious whenseparation anxiety is so extreme that it results in refusalto attend SCHOOL . Performance anxiety. Some students have extreme anxiety about taking tests, giving speeches, orathletic competition in physical education class. Those who have anxiety about these types ofperformance situations worry about being embarrassed or humiliated in front of their students may feel social anxiety or worry about social interactions with peersand/or teachers. They are uncomfortable in social situations and may dread socializing with classmates.

6 S5 83 Helping Children at Home and SCHOOL II: Handouts for Families and EducatorsGeneralized students have atendency to perceive the world as threatening and havegeneral worries about something bad happening. Thesechildren may also have specific fears of disastrousevents like tornadoes or Some students experience depressionor both anxiety and depression, and the symptomsinclude sadness, lack of interest in activities, failure tomake expected weight gains, sleep difficulties, feelingtired, feeling worthless, feelings of guilt, and very serious symptom of depression is suicidalideation. A child who is talking about harming himselfor herself should be referred to a mental healthprofessional in order to ensure his or her Some students fear being bullied.

7 Thesechildren want to avoid SCHOOL because of very realsituations in which they are physically threatened,teased, or left out by other concerns. Some students tend tohave high rates of physical complaints. Physicians andthe SCHOOL nurse can assist parents and SCHOOL staff indetermining whether a child has a legitimate physicalproblem or if physical complaints are related to anxiety. SCHOOL refusal may also develop after a student hasbeen home sick with an actual illness. In these situationsthe child refuses to go to SCHOOL even after recoveringphysically. The child s physician can communicate withschool officials regarding when the child who has beenill can return to SCHOOL or whether there are anyrestrictions for the child at SCHOOL .

8 If there is no medicalreason for staying home, the child should be at SCHOOL . Warning Signs of SCHOOL RefusalSchool personnel need to recognize the followingwarning signs of SCHOOL refusal : Frequent complaints about attending SCHOOL Frequent tardiness or unexcused absences Absences on significant days (tests, speeches,physical education class) Frequent requests to call or go home Excessive worrying about a parent when in SCHOOL Frequent requests to go to the nurse s officebecause of physical complaints Crying about wanting to go homeWhen a teacher sees any of these signs it may be agood idea to speak to the SCHOOL psychologist or otherschool support staff and the child s parents.

9 It isimportant to develop an intervention plan as quickly aspossible when these warning signs occur, because aquick response has been found to increase theprobability of successful SCHOOL RefusalBecause SCHOOL refusal may be the result of manyfactors, assessment should involve a variety of methodsand sources and should include INFORMATION gatheredacross more than one setting, such as interviews,observation of the child, and a review of academicrecords and attendance history. Questionnaires com-pleted by teachers, parents, and the student can provideadditional INFORMATION about the child s developmental,social, and emotional status.

10 Academic achievementtesting may be needed, particularly if there are academicdifficulties contributing to the SCHOOL refusal . An assessment of the reasons for the SCHOOL refusalbehavior also involves determining the antecedents andconsequences of the child s behavior. Frequent reasonsor causes include escape from anxiety-provokingsituations or to gain attention from a parent or othercaregiver. Alternately, some students may avoid schoolin order to engage in a desired activity at home(watching television, playing video games). Determiningthe payoff for SCHOOL refusal can help in determining thesource of the for Teachers and Other SchoolPersonnel Be alert for signs of SCHOOL refusal : Speak withparents about strategies to intervene early.