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Emerging School Refusal: A School-Based Framework for Identifying Early Signs and Risk Factors
Abstract
A student's academic and social-emotional development is increasingly jeopardized with mounting absence from school. School refusal (SR) is one type of school attendance problem (SAP) that is often associated with absence from school. Once established, it can sometimes be difficult to treat. To prevent established SR and associated problems, indicators of emerging SR and risk for SR should be efficiently identified and acted upon. Risk factors are often discussed in relation to SAPs generally rather than considering risk for specific types of attendance problems. Based on literature review, this paper provides an account of the likely signs and risks for emerging SR. A school-based framework is provided to support school personnel and parents in working together to identify these signs and risks. Several challenges associated with the implementation of the framework are discussed.
... need to differentiate between different causal-based categories of school attendance problems [4]. In the current study, we focus on emotion-based school absence (EBSA), defined as reluctance to attend school due to emotional discomfort, i.e., being afraid of attending school, or school truancy, i.e., intentional and unjustified school absence, often due to motivational issues [6,7]. This conceptualization are based on literature that considers the emotional discomfort component an important part of school attendance problems [8]. ...
... School are important to all youth, and an important task in the mental health care of youth is to promote school attendance [7]. In the general population of school-aged youths, the prevalence of school refusal is assumed to be between 1 and 5% [32,33], whereas the prevalence of truancy is assumed to be a bit higher, between 6 and 10% [6,34]. ...
... We chose to focus on EBSA since school attendance problems due to somatic illnesses require other interventions such as e.g., hospital schools. EBSA often involve somatic symptoms, both the medically confirmed and psychosomatic types [7]. The first aim was to examine the prevalence of school attendance problems in a comparatively large sample of youth with rare disorders. ...
... Youth with higher emotional instability (i.e., higher tendency to experience anxiety, sadness, etc.) are more likely to interpret situations as being threatening and therefore are more vulnerable to school refusal behaviors. Research has shown that anxious school refusers reported a higher rate of anxiety (5%-18%) and depression (14%) compared to their non-anxious counterparts (Ingul et al., 2019). Likewise, 53% to 78% of parents with school-refusing youths experience anxiety and depressive disorders (Martin et al., 1999). ...
... In addition to parental and youth anxiety and depression, problematic emotion regulation, also understood as emotion dysregulation, has been suggested as a key risk factor in a more recent framework for school refusal (Ingul et al., 2019). Emotion regulation refers to the way individuals influence their experience of emotions including what, when, and how emotions are expressed (Mennin et al., 2002). ...
... The present study aimed to examine the role of adolescent and parental factors in school refusal behaviors by building on the theoretical frameworks of school refusal behaviors (Ingul et al., 2019;Kearney, 2008). First, we tested whether adolescents with school refusal behaviors and their parents report higher levels of emotion dysregulation, anxiety, and depression compared to their counterparts without school refusal behaviors. ...
School refusal behaviours in adolescents have deleterious immediate and long-term consequences and are associated with mental ill-health such as anxiety and depression. Understanding factors that place youth at higher risk of school refusal behaviour may assist in developing effective management approaches. We investigated parental and adolescent factors that may be associated with school refusal behaviours by specifically focusing on the role of parental and adolescent emotion dysregulation, their anxiety and depression, and parental rearing style. First, we hypothesised that adolescents with school refusal behaviours, as well as their parents, will report higher levels of emotion dysregulation, anxiety, and depression compared to their counterparts without school refusal behaviours. Furthermore, we hypothesised that multivariate models testing the role of parental and child factors concurrently will show that parental (emotion dysregulation, anxiety and depression, and rearing styles) and adolescent (emotion dysregulation, anxiety and depression) factors are associated with school refusal behaviours.
One hundred and six adolescents aged 12-18 years and their parents completed an online questionnaire measuring both parental and adolescent emotion dysregulation, anxiety, depression, parental rearing styles, and adolescents’ school refusal behaviours. Adolescents with school refusal behaviours reported greater anxiety and depression, with their parents showing greater emotion dysregulation. Multivariate analyses showed that parental emotion dysregulation and adolescent age were associated with school refusal behaviours independently. Future management for school refusal behaviours should consider age-tailored approaches by incorporating training for parental emotion regulation skills.
... SRB is particularly prevalent during adolescence, a developmental period characterized by significant physical, emotional, and social changes (Heyne et al. 2011;Ingul et al. 2019). These changes can often lead to challenges that can exacerbate school attendance problems. ...
... Research shows that in the community sample of adolescents, about 1-7% experience SRB, and in clinical settings, the prevalence increases, with 5-16% of adolescents exhibiting SRB tendencies (Heyne et al. 2020;Yan 2023). The impact of school refusal on young individuals is significant, both in the short and long term (Chockalingam et al. 2023;Ingul et al. 2019;Leduc et al. 2022). In the short term, young people who refuse to attend school may experience deteriorating family and peer relationships, escalating family conflict, social isolation, academic underachievement, high levels of daily emotional distress, and co-occurring mental health problems (Delgado et al. 2019;Hughes et al. 2022). ...
... For example, prior research has documented that various parental challenges, ranging from illnesses and emotional disorders to substance abuse, can exacerbate a child's problems with school attendance (Casas-Gil and Navarro-Guzman 2002;Claessens et al. 2015). Researchers have found that overprotective parenting led to youth having difficulty separating from their mothers or the comfort of the home environment, thereby making it more difficult to be at school (Ingul et al. 2019;Kameguchi and Murphy-Shigematsu 2001). Also, parents of youth with SRB reported more dysfunction in family communication (e.g., lack of understanding), role performance (e.g., lack of clear family roles), control (e.g., inability to cope with changing demands), and affective expression (e.g., inhibiting painful affect) compared to parents of youth with psychiatric problems but no SRB (Carless et al. 2015;Ingul et al. 2019). ...
School Refusal Behavior (SRB), characterized by a child’s reluctance to attend school or stay in school for a full day, is particularly prevalent during adolescence. Using the network approach, this study examined the roles of family and school factors in adolescents’ SRB. We surveyed 2,218 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 16.36 years, SD = 0.95 years; 40.97% females), who provided reports on SRB, both maternal and paternal parenting styles, and adaptive and maladaptive school outcomes. The results showed a 27.4% rate of SRB. Correlations existed between parenting style, adaptive and maladaptive school outcomes, and adolescent SRB. Network analysis documented that among school and family factors, attitudes toward school and academic adjustment had the highest bridging centrality in connecting to SRB. The findings suggest that future research and intervention efforts may prioritize students’ negative attitudes toward school and academic adaptation as key strategies for reducing SRB in adolescents.
... When additions to the team are feasible, they elevate the team's multidisciplinary nature, fostering more holistic understanding and comprehensive support for students, parents, and the school community. Collaborators, such as year-level coordinators, teachers, and mentors intimately familiar with students, along with student welfare staff like school nurses, counsellors, psychologists, and social workers, bring valuable insights and expertise in providing support (Ingul et al., 2019). Even if these individuals are not formal team members, the team can consult them as needed. ...
... However, it is clear that actively involving parent and student representatives is essential for any initiatives aimed at promoting school attendance (Heyne et al., 2020), and this sentiment extends to the efforts of the school attendance team. While including student and parent representatives in team discussions about other students' attendance raises ethical concerns around privacy, it remains crucial to elevate their voices in shaping the team's broader decisions on school policies and practices related to attendance and absence (Ingul et al., 2019). ...
... Attendance Works (2018) underscore the essential role of the principal in guiding this decision-making process, carefully assessing their school's unique needs and available resources. Ingul et al. (2019) also propose an intriguing option -a team spanning numerous schools, enabling the pooling of resources and experiences to collaboratively address attendance and absence. This may be particularly attractive for smaller schools with fewer staff. ...
A practical paper for school attendance teams, prepared for RaaWee K12 Attendance+ https://raaweek12.com/
... The multifaceted nature of SAPs demands an interdisciplinary approach, frequently including the involvement of professionals from different disciplinary fields in addition to the student, their parents, and school personnel [14][15][16]. Thus, professionals must be aware of the various reasons for SAPs as the way SAPs are perceived by those who address them is likely to affect how students are met, understood, and supported [17,18]. ...
... Thus, the attitudes and perceptions of school-based professionals toward SAPs are important for ensuring that students showing signs of SAPs are identified and sufficiently supported. Moreover, due to the complex nature of SAPs, an interdisciplinary approach is strongly emphasized in the literature [14,88]. Interventions for SAPs should involve the student, their caretakers, school-based professionals, and professionals from other disciplinary fields, depending on the severity and nature of the SAP and the needs of the student and/or the family [14][15][16]. ...
... Moreover, due to the complex nature of SAPs, an interdisciplinary approach is strongly emphasized in the literature [14,88]. Interventions for SAPs should involve the student, their caretakers, school-based professionals, and professionals from other disciplinary fields, depending on the severity and nature of the SAP and the needs of the student and/or the family [14][15][16]. The multifaceted nature of SAPs and their relation to various individual, family, and contextual factors, therefore, often necessitate expertise in certain domains. ...
This systematic scoping review was conducted to determine the extent of existing research on professionals' attitudes toward school attendance problems (SAPs), including school refusal (SR), truancy (TR), school withdrawal (SW), and school exclusion (SE), in basic education. Five databases (ERIC, Academic Search Ultimate, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) were systematically searched for relevant literature. Forty-five studies met the inclusion criteria that were set prior to the search and were eligible for inclusion. The results of this systematic scoping review reveal that there has been a continuous increase in studies addressing professionals' attitudes toward SAPs since 2000, with the greatest number of studies published after 2019 and in Europe. Most studies were descriptive, cross-sectional, and used a qualitative approach and the most common informants were school-based professionals (i.e., teachers, school administrators, and other school staff). The included studies used a variety of concepts referring to SAPs and types of SAPs, underlining the present challenges in terminology and definitions that characterize the research field. The results of this review contribute to identifying gaps in knowledge and offer guidelines for future research as a prerequisite to enhance the contemporary comprehension of SAPs in research and in practice.
... Abstract Background School attendance issues are well-researched and acknowledged internationally as an area of concern for schools ( Gren-Landell, 2021). Poor school attendance is associated with negative academic, social, and mental health outcomes (Ingul, Havik, & Heyne, 2019). Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA) is a form of school attendance difficulty, wherein young people experience emotional distress related to school attendance which can result in prolonged absences (West Sussex Educational Psychology Service, 2018). ...
... Although Gottfried's (2014) research is based upon outcomes of young children, it is a good example of large-scale research in the area. Other research supports these findings across ages, and on an international scale, also linking school absenteeism with mental health difficulties, difficulties finding employment, and antisocial behaviour in adulthood (Ingul et al., 2019;Kearney, 2008b;McKay-Brown et al., 2019;Taylor, 2012). ...
... Due to the complexity and range of terminology used to describe EBSA, estimates of prevalence are variable (Gren-Landell, 2021;Pellegrini, 2007). Ingul et al. (2019) draw together international evidence to estimate that 0.4% to 5.4% of all youth experience a form of school refusal at some point in their school career. ...
Background School attendance issues are well-researched and acknowledged internationally as an area of concern for schools (Gren-Landell, 2021). Poor school attendance is associated with negative academic, social, and mental health outcomes (Ingul, Havik, & Heyne, 2019). Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA) is a form of school attendance difficulty, wherein young people experience emotional distress related to school attendance which can result in prolonged absences (West Sussex Educational Psychology Service, 2018). Research with teachers indicates they perceive home- and pupil-related issues as more important in causing EBSA than school-related issues which is in contrast to perceptions of parents and young people (Dannow, Esbjørn, & Risom, 2020; GrenLandell, Ekerfelt Allvin, Bradley, Andersson, & Andersson, 2015). How teachers perceive and attribute the causes of pupil behaviour impacts upon their behaviour to support pupils (Soodak & Podell, 1994). The present study aimed to explore the attributions made by teachers for EBSA in young people aged between 11 and 16 years. Methods This study employed a non-experimental fixed design, utilising a survey strategy to explore attributions. The first stage of the research involved creating a survey measure, through the content analysis of interviews with school staff (n = 6), parents (n = 2), and young people (n = 2). The final survey was distributed online to teachers within the Local Authority (LA) and more widely through social media. The final sample included for analysis was n = 201 teachers. Findings Data were analysed through factor analysis, resulting in the extraction of a five-factor model. The attributional pattern of teachers for the causes of EBSA was nuanced, highlighting the perceived interplay of issues across systems that could increase the risk of EBSA. Teachers attributed a high level of importance to peer-related and homerelated factors in causing EBSA. The least importance was attributed to school environmental factors. This indicated somewhat of a self protective bias in attributions, which aligns with findings of previous attributional studies with teachers. Implications Though there are limitations to this study that must be considered, results highlight implications for schools in developing an understanding of the role of school-related factors in EBSA, within which there is a potential role for educational psychologists (EPs) as facilitators. Implications for future research are also discussed, including the utility of further exploring and comparing the attributions of different populations such as wider school personnel, parents, and young people.
... Using a behavioral lens, Kearney and Albano's [36] functional model of school refusal behavior remains widely used by both researchers to conceptualize SR as a school attendance problem, and by stakeholders to intervene with students who manifest the behavior. However, as research on SR grows, the relevance of an ecological model that accounts for social and contextual factors has increased [3,37,38]. While most previous etiological theories focused primarily on the individual and proximal factors associated to youth with SR (e.g., parenting, or separation anxiety), the bioecological theory [39] emphasizes the importance of considering both proximal and distal influencing factors on development. ...
... Additionally, in the context of SR, previous reviews have identified associated factors in multiple systems such as schools, families and communities (e.g., [12,38]). Empirical studies also support the influence of more distal factors such as conflicts with peers and school transitions on SR (e.g., [38,40]). ...
... Additionally, in the context of SR, previous reviews have identified associated factors in multiple systems such as schools, families and communities (e.g., [12,38]). Empirical studies also support the influence of more distal factors such as conflicts with peers and school transitions on SR (e.g., [38,40]). These findings coupled with previous research that supports the use of "multimodal, multisystem, and wraparound intensive team approaches" ( [28], p. 122) in SR intervention, support the relevance of an ecological lens to examine SR in children and adolescents. ...
To guide school practitioners in the identification and intervention of youth with anxious school refusal, this systematic review used an ecological lens to examine the factors that differentiated children and adolescents with school refusal from those without. Based on the rigorous protocol from the Center for Reviews and Dissemination’s (CRD) internationally recognized guidelines, 15 studies examining 67 different factors were identified. Results reveal 44 individual, social and contextual factors that differentiate youth with school refusal from peers without school refusal. Findings highlight the centrality of anxiety, or anxiety-related symptoms, and diverse learning needs as main points of contrast between youth with school refusal and those without. Implications of an ecological understanding of the factors associated with school refusal for selective and indicative prevention by school and mental health practitioners are discussed.
... Finally, there is a body of research exploring causal factors in the school environment, for example emphasizing how a lack of academic and emotional support from teachers (Vallée & Ruglis, 2017;Wilkins, 2008), bullying (Hutzell & Payne, 2018), or the overall organization of the school (Ramberg et al., 2019) may contribute to a lack of well-being and school disengagement among students, in turn leading to school absence. Ekstrand (2015), Ingul et al. (2019) and Knage (2021) all argue that differences within the research regarding the perceived causes of persistent school absence -ranging from individual student characteristics to parents and the school -may contribute to conflicts between school and home, complicating cooperation. Ingul et al. (2019) further note the tendency for parents to report issues related to school and, vice versa, for school staff to report issues related to families. ...
... Ekstrand (2015), Ingul et al. (2019) and Knage (2021) all argue that differences within the research regarding the perceived causes of persistent school absence -ranging from individual student characteristics to parents and the school -may contribute to conflicts between school and home, complicating cooperation. Ingul et al. (2019) further note the tendency for parents to report issues related to school and, vice versa, for school staff to report issues related to families. ...
In this article, we seek to gain knowledge about the phenomenon of persistent school absence. Situations where a student is absent from school for long periods are often characterized by high levels of frustration among adults and a tendency to blame either the school or the parents. However, in contrast to most research in school absence, we do not ask why some students become persistently absent from school. Rather, we take up the Deleuzo-Guattarian concept of the assemblage and their concept of lines of flight (Deleuze and Guattari A thousand plateaus: Capitalism and schizophrenia, 1987) to analyze the school as an assemblage and how it works as an arrangement of elements and movements to ensure that children’s bodies can be found on the school premises during certain hours of the day. We then analyze and discuss the processes set in motion when students start to flee the assemblage by staying home, gradually enabling the persistent school absence assemblage to emerge and territorialize. Finally, based on Puig de la Bellacasa’s (de la Puig Matters of Care: Speculative Ethics in More than Human Worlds, 2017) conceptualization of care, we discuss how the school assemblage might succeed in recruiting the persistently absent students if it generated more care.
... In a review study carried out by Ingul et al. (2019) aiming to identify risk factors of and early symptoms related to school refusal, it was reported that early symptoms of school refusal include school absenteeism, somatic complaints, depression, and anxiety. In addition, the study listed the risk factors for school refusal as the transition process between school levels, difficulties in emotional regulation, low self-efficacy, negative thinking tendency, inadequate problem-solving skills, insufficient teacher support and supervision, unpredictability of school experiences, bullying, social isolation, loneliness, inadequate collaboration between home and school, parent's psychological well-being, excessive parental protection, and dysfunctional family processes. ...
... Tekin and Aydın (2022) aimed to determine the patterns of relationships between school refusal and anxiety. Ingul et al. (2019), on the other hand, focused on school-based risk factors and early symptoms related to school refusal. In this study as well, taking a holistic perspective, the consideration of risk factors, protective factors, symptoms, and intervention efforts related to school refusal can be regarded as a distinguishing feature from other studies in the literature. ...
Considering the problems associated with school attendance, school refusal is an adjustment problem that tends to become increasingly prevalent. The present study identifies the patterns reported in the literature on school refusal and outlines the structure and sub-components of school refusal. Therefore, the systematic review method was selected as the research method for this study. The data sources of this study consist of 40 research articles that fell within the purview of WoS and were either included or excluded according to predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Using MAXQDA 2020, both content and descriptive analyses were conducted in synthesizing the data sources. As a result of the analysis, the study year, method, data collection tool, data collection procedure, data analysis, and sample were examined as descriptive characteristics. Analyzing the content characteristics, five themes were identified: risk factors for school refusal, school refusal symptoms, school refusal protective factors, approaches, and techniques for intervention in school refusal, and consequences of school refusal. The findings are provided by discussing the related literature.
... Although there is a wealth of research addressing the association between mental health and school absenteeism, there are calls for a better understanding of how mental health difficulties might predict SAPs (Egger et al., 2003;Finning et al., 2022;Ingul et al., 2019;Wood et al., 2012). The aim of this paper was to create a more nuanced understanding of SAPs by exploring how different constellations of mental health difficulties might be predictive of absenteeism in 9-year-olds. ...
... In line with the previous research and drawing from the work of Bronfenbrenner and Morris (2006), risk factors examined included gender, socio-demographics, child report of bullying, attitude to school, relationship with teacher, parents reporting of parent depression, parental conflict and teacher report of problems at home that affect school participation (Egger et al., 2003;Gubbels et al., 2019;Hallinan, (2008); Havik et al., 2014;Ingul et al., 2019). This paper seeks to address the following questions: (i) What classes of mental health difficulties emerge based on measures of emotional and behavioural symptoms taken from a nationally representative sample of Irish 9-year-olds (GUI cohort '98)? ...
Although there is a wealth of research addressing the association between mental health and school absenteeism, there are calls for a better understanding of how mental health difficulties might predict SAPs (Egger et al., 2003; Finning et al., 2022; Ingul et al., 2019; Wood et al., 2012). The aim of this paper was to create a more nuanced understanding of SAPs by exploring how different constellations of mental health difficulties might be predictive of absenteeism in 9-year-olds. Using a sample of Irish 9-year-olds (N = 8570) from the Growing Up In Ireland Study (GUI’98), the research used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify combinations of mental health symptoms. Twenty items from the Strengths and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ) were used to measure a range of emotional and behavioural difficulties. The analysis yielded four mental health classes—High Risk of Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD), High Risk of Emotional Difficulties (ED), High Risk of Behavioural Difficulties (BD) and Low Risk of Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD). The study assessed whether rates of student absenteeism varied across different classes of mental health as identified through LCA and explored risk factors associated with different classes. Children in the high-risk mental health symptomology groups had significantly higher odds of absenteeism compared to the low-risk class and significantly greater odds of experiencing multiple family, school and demographic risk factors. The distinct profiles of mental health symptoms observed within the classes and their patterns of associations with risk factors and days absent indicated classes were theoretically distinct. The results illustrate the importance of recognising the relationship between mental health and school absenteeism in primary school children when developing early intervention strategies for SAPs. As one of the few studies to focus on 9-year-olds, the current study contributes to current knowledge on the complexities of emerging SAPs in primary school children.
... With such strong and specific opposition from the children it was difficult to rationalise the practice, though reportedly achieving academic gains, against its detrimental impact on the children's attitudes toward learning and school. This finding is particularly relevant considering recent reports of rising school refusal in Australian schools (Ingul et al., 2019) and oppositional behaviours (Little, 2020). Methods of teaching that were intent on expediting the learning process for competitive gains imposed the most risk to children's holistic learning and well-being during the transition year. ...
More than thirty years on from the United Nations Convention of the Child honouring a child’s right to be heard (Article 12) has unlocked a new frontier in ethical research. In education, children have demonstrated competence to contribute with insight to recent policy development in Australia. This paper provides further evidence of the critical role children stand to play in education reform. A post-structural perspective is adopted and underpinned with Foucauldian theory of discursive power in the context of school-based affordances. Visual and dialogic qualitative methods are used to compare the impact of powerful discourses upon children’s affordances in the first year of compulsory school. Three overarching theses drawn from children’s perspectives are summarised; disparity between adult and child expectations of school, adult influence upon children’s perceptions of school, and children’s power to sustain or disrupt a discourse through dis/engagement. The findings illustrate an urgent need for systematic consult with children on issues relevant to them and calls for a public platform for amplifying their unique views to policy makers for response.
... In addition, the research finding that an early intervention to resolve truancy significantly impacts the prevention of criminal behaviors suggests that neglected truant behaviors may be associated with future criminal behaviors (Bennett et al., 2018). Thus, truancy should be viewed not as a mere deviation from social norms, but as a starting point for a more pressing problem and as an early warning sign (Ingul et al., 2019). Therefore, an exploration of the risk factors and early interventions for juvenile delinquents may be critical to prevent school dropouts, criminal activities, and psychosocial problems (Bennett et al., 2018). ...
... Teniendo presente, por tanto, que el rechazo escolar puede considerarse un concepto psicológico y que ha sido relacionado con problemas emocionales como la ansiedad (Dembo, et al., 2016), se prevé fundamental que las instituciones educativas contribuyan al desarrollo pleno de los estudiantes (Alonso-Tapia et al., 2020), evitando así, situaciones de desigualdad y exclusión social (Ingul et al.,2019). ...
Uno de los mayores desafíos a los que se enfrenta hoy día la población juvenil es a la desmotivación por los resultados académicos, lo que se ve estrechamente reflejado en conductas de estrés, ansiedad y depresión. Así, entre los trastornos más destacados en la población adolescente, se encuentra el Trastorno de Ansiedad Generalizada. Asistir a la escuela favorece el desarrollo integral de los estudiantes (académico, personal y social), no obstante, el índice de rechazo escolar continúa siendo alarmante. Debido a la complejidad del comportamiento, no se ha logrado llegar a un acuerdo común que justifique la conducta, pues las razones son heterogéneas (miedo, ansiedad o trastorno desafiante). La evitación escolar basada en las emociones es una importante causade absentismo escolar, además de persistente. Teniendo en cuenta por tanto la estrecha relación entre las emociones de tipo internalizante (ansiedad, depresión, estrés) y el rechazo escolar, el objetivo del presente estudio consistió en conocer la relación entre la ansiedad escolar y el rechazo escolar en función de las altas y bajas puntuaciones en rechazo escolar. La muestra estuvo compuesta por un total de 1920 estudiantes de bachillerato. La School Refusal Behavior Assessment Scale-Revised for children (I. Evitación de afectividad negativa; II. Escape de situaciones sociales; III. Búsqueda de atención; IV. Búsqueda del refuerzo tangible) y el Inventario de Ansiedad Escolar (IAES) fueron utilizados. Los resultados reflejaron que, los estudiantes con altas puntuaciones en rechazo escolar, obtuvieron puntuaciones superiores en las diferentes dimensiones de ansiedad evaluadas en comparación con el grupo con bajas puntuaciones en rechazo escolar. Se discute el papel de la ansiedad como factor de riesgo del comportamiento de rechazo escolar.
... Similarly, in Al Keilani and Delvenne [8], patients with school refusal behavior were diagnosed with different internalizing disorder, primarily anxiety (50%) and to a lesser extent, depression. These findings are in line with earlier studies that have indicated a link between school refusal behavior and lower emotional stability, as well as difficulties in interpersonal relationships [52,53]. The presence of these psychiatric symptoms emphasizes the urgency to address school refusal behavior comprehensively. ...
The aim of the study was to explore the clinical significance of school refusal behavior, its negative impact on psychological well-being of children and adolescents and its relationship with the most common psychopathological conditions during childhood and adolescence (e.g. neurodevelopmental disorders, psychiatric disorders). School refusal behavior refers to a distressing condition experienced by children and adolescents that compromise regular school attendance and determine negative consequences on mental health and adaptive functioning. A narrative review of the literature published between January 2019 and March 2023 was conducted. Ten studies ( n = 10) were included from a literature search of the electronic databases PubMed, CINAHL, PsycInfo, MedLine, and Cochrane Library. The results indicate that school refusal is highly present in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder due to the presence of behavioral problems and deficits in communication skills. As for psychiatric disorders, school refusal appears to be highly common in anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and somatic symptoms. We also found that school refusal behavior may be associated with various emotional and behavioral conditions that act as risk factors. Especially, but are not limited to, it may be associated with a diminished self-concept, exposure to cyberbullying, specific affective profiles and excessive technology usage. Our results indicate that school refusal is a condition with many clinical facets. It can be attributed to both vulnerability factors, both temperamental and relational, and to various psychopathological conditions that differ significantly from each other, such as neurodevelopmental disorders and psychiatric disorders. Recognizing these aspects can improve the implementation of patient-tailored therapeutic interventions that are consequently more likely to produce effective outcomes. The therapeutic intervention should facilitate the recognition of cognitive biases regarding school as a threatening environment, while regulating negative emotions associated with school attendance. Additionally, therapeutic intervention programs linked to social skill training and problem-solving training, conducted directly within the school setting, can enhance children’s abilities to cope with academic performance and social relationships, ultimately preventing school refusal.
... In another study, Holmberg and Hjern (2008) found that children with ADHD were more often involved in bullying, both as the bully and as the victim, compared to TD children. Such social difficulties at school are known risk factors for SRB (Ingul et al., 2019). ...
... In addition to age, gender and race/ethnicity, risk factors for absenteeism are sometimes described in line with psychological dimensions [30]. Gubbels et al. [28] found in their systematic literature review that students' school absenteeism was associated with issues related to physical and mental problems of the child, substance abuse, antisocial or risky behaviour, problems at or with school, characteristics of the school, parenting problems and difficulties and family problems. ...
This article explores which students–with regard to gender, socio-economic background and migration background–skip school in Germany, Japan, Sweden and the United Kingdom (UK) according to PISA data. Students who skip school are observed in many countries, but there is not much systematic research that studies this across countries. Comparable data is to a large extent missing. PISA data offers an opportunity to use comparable data. In PISA, students were asked in 2018, 2015 and 2012 whether they had skipped school a whole day in the last two weeks prior to their completion of the PISA student questionnaire. Patterns of how absence relates to sociodemographic factors vary in countries and school systems. In the comparison between the four countries the UK stands out as having a higher percentage of students who have reported that they have skipped school than in the other countries. This does not seem to be related to any specific group of students. Japan also stands out with a lower percentage of students who have reported that they have skipped school. According to PISA data, skipping school is more related to socio-economic background than any other of the variables studied. The socio-economic background seems to be related to skipping school in all three PISA studies in Sweden and the UK. Gender seems not to be an important factor in the four countries. In Sweden and Germany there is a lower percentage of non-immigrant students who report that they have skipped school than first-and second-generation immigrant students. In the UK the figures are more ambiguous. When the percentages of students skipping school are compared over time and in the countries, it is difficult to find any trends, but the data only covered three measurements during a period of six years, which may be too short a time span to see trends.
... The inherently social nature of schooling and team-based performance of extracurricular activities may self-evidently contribute to school absenteeism and avoidance of group-based activities among socially anxious adolescents [11]. School absenteeism, defined as "the emotional upset of the likelihood of attending school or missing classes regularly" [12], is a significant challenge in educational systems worldwide [13]. Additionally, social anxiety is acknowledged as a cross-cultural phenomenon [14], while absenteeism is recognized as a complex issue with global implications [15]. ...
Background: Adolescents grappling with social anxiety may experience poor school satisfaction, resorting to school-related avoidance behaviors, exemplified by absenteeism, as a coping mechanism. Understanding the role of family support in alleviating the adverse effects of social anxiety on school satisfaction is imperative for fostering supportive educational settings. Although there is literature regarding how school satisfaction promotes positive adolescent outcomes, empirical knowledge on the interrelation between social anxiety, school satisfaction, and family emotional support is limited. This study investigates the association between social anxiety, family emotional support, school satisfaction, and school absenteeism within the theoretical framework of the stage-environment fit theory to offer insight into how family emotional support can moderate the influence of social anxiety on school-related outcomes. Methods: Utilizing a population-based sample of 1861 upper secondary school pupils from the Trøndelag Young Health study “Young-HUNT3 study”, we employed an index of moderated mediation to examine the role of family emotional support in moderating the association between social anxiety and school-related avoidance behavior related to school satisfaction. Results: Family emotional support had moderated mediation association for school absenteeism (β = 0.128, 95% CI 0.019, 0.278) and extracurricular activity (β = −0.003, 95% CI −0.008, −0.000). Conclusions: This urges further investigation into the specific mechanisms and individual differences influencing these relationships, aiming to deepen our understanding of adolescents’ experiences and inform comprehensive strategies for promoting their well-being within school communities.
... ADHD:hen liittyy usein myös ongelmia koulunkäynnissä ja käyttäytymisessä sekä sosiaalisissa suhteissa ja tunteiden säätelyssä. Kaverisuhteiden ongelmat, yksinäisyys ja sosiaalinen vetäytyminen altistavat puolestaan koulukieltäytymiselle (Egger, Costello & Angold, 2003;Ingul, Havik & Heyne, 2019;Kearney, 2008). Oppimisvaikeudet ja tuen tarve koulussa ovat myös yleisiä rajattiin koskemaan vertaisarvioituja sekä englanninkielisiä artikkeleita. ...
... The "rapid recovery" profile was more likely to be associated with a physical illness or learning disability rather than psychiatric illness, suggesting that the intensity of school intervention may not be as significant for these children as for other profiles, instead favoring treatment of the underlying medical or learning condition. In response to the high frequency of visits to the school nurse, as reported in this study, school-based attendance teams have been recommended to improve detection of risk factors for SR by monitoring students' emotional distress, somatic symptoms, and parental motivations for absence [28]. ...
School refusal (SR) is a form of school attendance problem (SAP) that requires specific mental health care. Despite improvements in the definition of SAPs, the course of SR is not well characterized. To explore three-year patterns of SR course in children, as reported by their parents, we deployed an anonymous web-based survey. We defined SR onset as the absence of ≥ 2 school weeks during one academic year, combined with emotional distress. We defined standard SR trajectories using sequence analysis of parents’ recollection of three consecutive years of school attendance. We obtained 1970 responses, 1328 (67%) completed by a parent and meeting the definition of SR. Of these, 729 (55%) responses included three years of school attendance recollection. We identified five prototypical trajectories of SR: two profiles for children: beaded absences (n = 272), and rapid recovery (n = 132); and three for adolescents: prolonged recovery (n = 93), gradual decline (n = 89), and rapid decline (n = 143). We found five distinct trajectories of retrospective recall of SR course. Through pattern recognition, this typology could help with timely identification of SR and implementation of evidence-based interventions to optimize outcomes. Prospective replication of these findings and their field application is warranted.
... On the way to school, the child may display a range of anxiety symptoms of varying intensity, sometimes culminating in a panic attack (Hella & Bernstein, 2012). It should be noted that several factors may contribute to school refusal, including personal factors such as emotional distress or depressed mood, as well as family and school environment factors (Ingul et al., 2019). ...
... On the way to school, the child may display a range of anxiety symptoms of varying intensity, sometimes culminating in a panic attack (Hella & Bernstein, 2012). It should be noted that several factors may contribute to school refusal, including personal factors such as emotional distress or depressed mood, as well as family and school environment factors (Ingul et al., 2019). ...
In this article, we present an Arabic adaptation and validation of the School Refusal Evaluation (SCREEN). This measure aims to understanding the strong negative emotions and anxiety of the adolescent toward school. For this purpose, two studies (i.e., validation and cross-validation) with a student sample in middle schools (age range 12–16) using two independent community samples (N = 658; N = 485) were designed to provide evidence based on internal structure, internal consistency reliability and evidence-based on relationship with conceptually related constructs. Confirmatory factor analyses did not confirm a four-factor but a three-factor latent structure of the SCREEN. The SCREEN scores demonstrated good reliability and were significantly and positively related to Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. In conclusion, the results of this study provide validity evidence for the SCREEN as a measure of school refusal and thus could be utilized in research and clinical settings.
... The researcher infers that SRB could be caused by intensified procrastination among university students. Prior studies found that students with high procrastination levels tend to have SRB (Havik, Bru, & Ertesvåg, 2015;Ingul, Havik, & Heyne, 2019). Both sleepiness and school refusal behavior can indicate a lack of self-discipline which are demotivating factors for EFL students to attend classes. ...
The purpose of this study was to identify the motivation and demotivation of Japanese university students in attending English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes. The participants included 455 students who took English courses for the first semester of 2023 from two private universities in Japan. The data was collected using a five-point Likert scale motivation and demotivation survey comprised of 24 items and two open-ended questions through an online questionnaire. The results from the quantitative and qualitative strands indicated that the motivation of the respondents towards attending EFL classes is mainly extrinsic. The basis of extrinsic motivation comprised getting credit, getting good grades, and knowing the tips for the exam. In addition, Japanese university students showed low demotivation towards attending EFL classes based on teacher-related, class content-related, and personal factors. The thematic analysis revealed that the students have low expectations for success and lack of self-discipline. From a cultural perspective, these findings reveal that the Japanese tend to blame themselves rather than point fingers at others to maintain harmony even in their academic life. The findings of this study can be used by EFL instructors, school administrators, and curriculum developers to offer interventions intended to motivate the demotivated EFL students to improve class attendance and help Japanese university students achieve academic success.
... Among the oldest topics studied chronologically in WoS, school refusal includes depression, childhood anxiety, and phobic disorders. In this context, Ingul et al. (2019) emphasized in a previous study that depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms are important warning signals for school refusal. Similarly, Gonzálvez et al. (2018) discussed the relationship between school refusal and depression, anxiety, and stress. ...
School refusal is considered a risk factor for academic, social, and personal situations, such as school dropouts. Studies have been carried out on school refusal for almost 50 years. However, general research trends have not been mapped yet. This study summarizes the bibliometric analysis of scientific collaborations and prevalence across locations by country and institution, leading researchers, journals, and trends (keywords) in school refusal research. The United States, Japan, Spain, and England are the countries that stand out in terms of school refusal. It can be said that the Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, and Frontiers in Psychology are important journals that publish on school refusal. Researchers named Christopher A. Kearney, Carolina Gonzálvez, Jose Manuel Garcia-Fernandez, David A. Heyne, and Brigit M. Van Widenfelt have been found to have more intensive studies and collaborations on school refusal. The authors keywords common use for school refusal; are truancy, school absenteeism, adolescence, school attendance, school phobia, autism spectrum disorder, and bullying. The findings show that school refusal is a current research area, and scientific collaborations continue to be established. The findings reveal all the details of the school refusal research.
... Within the present research, the parental role in promoting early identification was evident, with parents describing themselves as the "expert" on their child. This reaffirms comments from previous literature that their involvement in planning and monitoring intervention is crucial for success (Corcoran et al., 2020;Heyne et al., 2019), and therefore forms a key aspect of the SPIRAL framework. However, as captured by the principle around "Including and Informing Parents" (I), numerous factors impact the development of parental trust, including inconsistency, lack of staff training, and perception of blame. ...
Emotionally-based school non-attendance (EBSNA) is believed to impact one to two percent of children and young people (CYP): it is understood to present as severe emotional upset at the prospect of attending school. The aim of this study was to further understand parental experiences of EBSNA to enhance professional under-standing and support. Adopting a “solution-oriented”, exploratory qualitative design, this phenomenological research gathered retro-spective experiences of successful EBSNA support, aiming to uncover “what works” when supporting children and families experiencing this difficulty. Participants completed semi- structured interviews (n = 5), and transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Themes generated provided insights into different forms of support accessed by parents, identifying potential areas for improvement arising from their experiences of challenge and successes, as well as lessons learnt from the COVID- 19 pandemic. The themes (Supporting Parents; Promoting CYP’s Sense of Belonging; Including and Informing Parents; Raising Awareness of EBSNA; Accessing External Professionals; Lessons Learnt from Covid-19) are presented as a framework for profes-sional practice (SPIRAL), which has practical implications for schools and local authorities in providing support to families experiencing EBSNA. Recommendations for practice and future research are dis-cussed, informing developments across multiple systems, and high-lighting the potential of the EP role.
... The "rapid recovery" pro le was more likely to be associated with a physical illness or learning disability rather than psychiatric illness, suggesting that the intensity of school intervention may not be as signi cant for these children as for other pro les, instead favoring treatment of the underlying medical or learning condition [29]. In response to the high frequency of visits to the school nurse, as reported in this study, school-based attendance teams have been recommended to improve detection of risk factors for SR by monitoring students' emotional distress, somatic symptoms, and parental motivations for absence [30]. ...
Background
School refusal (SR) is a form of school attendance problem (SAP) that requires specific mental health care. Despite improvements in the definition of SAPs, the course of SR is not well characterized.
Methods
To explore three-year patterns of SR course in children, as reported by their parents, we deployed an anonymous web-based survey. We defined SR onset as the absence of ≥ 2 school weeks during one academic year, combined with emotional distress. We defined standard SR trajectories using sequence analysis of parents’ recollection of three consecutive years of school attendance.
Results
We obtained 1,970 responses, 1,328 (67%) completed by a parent and meeting the definition of SR. Of these, 729 (55%) responses included three years of school attendance recollection. We identified five prototypical trajectories of SR: two profiles for children: beaded absences (n = 272), and rapid recovery (n = 132); and three for adolescents: prolonged recovery (n = 93), gradual decline (n = 89), and rapid decline (n = 143).
Conclusion
We found five distinct trajectories of retrospective recall of SR course. Through pattern recognition, this typology could help with timely identification of SR and implementation of evidence-based interventions to optimize outcomes. Prospective replication of these findings and their field application is warranted.
... In addition, family conflict may be greater in situations where a child actively rejects school as opposed to having difficulties attending school due to emotional problems (Gonzálvez et al., 2019b). Family as well as marital conflict can impair communication and problem-solving abilities and reduce a student's motivation to return to school (Ingul et al., 2019). Such conflict can produce other situations that may exacerbate school absenteeism as well, such as maltreatment, substance use, trauma, and other adverse child experiences (Duke, 2020). ...
School attendance has been historically linked to healthy states of functioning, whereas school attendance problems/absenteeism have been historically linked to unhealthy states of functioning. Indeed, school attendance and its problems are deeply embedded within multiple domains of functioning at both analytic and systemic levels. This article utilizes complex systems theory and the concept of early warning signals to illustrate how changes in school attendance could indicate instability and perhaps sudden transitions to unhealthy states of functioning for students, families, schools, and communities. The article reviews how school attendance problems/absenteeism intersect with functioning at analytic (academic, social–emotional, mental health, physical health, family) and systemic (school and community) levels. The article also includes recommendations for how viewing changes in school attendance as early warning signals could improve health-based protocols (enhancing access to care; integrating systems of care) and school-based practices (developing multi-tiered systems of support models and community asset maps; modifying educational and policy perspectives). A primary theme involves more streamlined efforts to identify movement from healthy to unhealthy states among individuals to assign proactive and personalized treatment avenues (health-based protocols) and among systems to enact needed intervention supports and reforms (school-based practices).
... Given these considerations, is possible to understand how teachers' practices and demands influence the classroom setting and therefore the students' learning and social experiences at school (Grecu et al., 2019). The quality of the teacher-student interactions had been found to contribute significantly to students' academic, social, and emotional development, and in explaining SLA (Buzzai et al., 2022) and SRB (Filippello et al., 2019;Ingul et al., 2019). Previous research has shown that students who perceived learning as limited by the teacher and largely predetermined, experienced a sense of exclusion from participating in school rules and processes, and thus were more likely to develop a sense of alienation and behaviors of refusal, as they experienced school life as psychologically controlled by the teacher (Buzzai et al., 2021;. ...
The health status of youth with ID (intellectual disabilities) is often challenged by poor health literacy, indicating the importance of the role that carers and other professionals involved in the care and education of youth with ID. The purpose of the need assessment study was to investigate different perspectives of key stakeholders involved in the care and upbringing of children with ID. A descriptive-interpretive method was used in the study. The sample consisted of various target groups (Family with a child with ID; Healthcare professionals; Teachers; Expert/academics; Students with special education teaching (SET); NGOs representative). The sample consisted of 55 women (73%) and 20 men (27%). The findings demonstrate the need to include health promotion as an essential part of the curriculum in SET teaching. There is also a need for interdisciplinary collaboration as the issue is very much intertwined with education, health and social system. Further studies are needed to establish the direct needs of children/youth with ID.
... Given these considerations, is possible to understand how teachers' practices and demands influence the classroom setting and therefore the students' learning and social experiences at school (Grecu et al., 2019). The quality of the teacher-student interactions had been found to contribute significantly to students' academic, social, and emotional development, and in explaining SLA (Buzzai et al., 2022) and SRB (Filippello et al., 2019;Ingul et al., 2019). Previous research has shown that students who perceived learning as limited by the teacher and largely predetermined, experienced a sense of exclusion from participating in school rules and processes, and thus were more likely to develop a sense of alienation and behaviors of refusal, as they experienced school life as psychologically controlled by the teacher (Buzzai et al., 2021;. ...
... Given these considerations, is possible to understand how teachers' practices and demands influence the classroom setting and therefore the students' learning and social experiences at school (Grecu et al., 2019). The quality of the teacher-student interactions had been found to contribute significantly to students' academic, social, and emotional development, and in explaining SLA (Buzzai et al., 2022) and SRB (Filippello et al., 2019;Ingul et al., 2019). Previous research has shown that students who perceived learning as limited by the teacher and largely predetermined, experienced a sense of exclusion from participating in school rules and processes, and thus were more likely to develop a sense of alienation and behaviors of refusal, as they experienced school life as psychologically controlled by the teacher (Buzzai et al., 2021;. ...
... Ligeledes synes overgange i starten af børnehaveklassen, mellem indskoling og mellemtrinet og fra udskoling til ungdomsuddannelse at vaere betydningsfulde. Derudover er overgange via skoleskift eller efter ferier eller sygdom også sårbare i forhold til fravaer (Harvik 2019, Ingul, et al. 2019). ...
ResumeSkolevægring er generelt set blevet et stigende problem blandt danske skoleelever (Knudsen & Møller 2017, Lund 2021) og især børn med diagnoser er overrepræsenterede i statistikker over børn der har svært ved at komme i skole. Samtidig er skolevægring som fænomen, noget vi ikke ved så meget om i en dansk kontekst. Artiklens ærinde er, ud fra et litteraturstudie, at afsøge forståelser af og grunde til skolevægring, samt diskutere skolens rolle og opgave ift. børn der vælger skolen fra. Artiklen tager udgangspunkt i et state-of- the-art litteraturstudie om skolevægring i et international perspektiv, men med et primært fokus på Danmark. Studiet er styret af følgende forskningsspørgsmål: Hvilke forståelser peges der på i litteraturen ift. børn der vælger skolen fra, samt hvilken betydning kan disse forståelser få for det forebyggende og indgribende arbejde i praksis?AbstractSchool refusal – Children with diagnoses and their difficulties in getting to schoolSchool refusal has become an increasing problem among Danish school students (Knudsen & Møller 2017, Lund 2021) and especially children with diagnoses are represented in statistics on children who have difficulty participating in school. At the same time, school refusal as a phenomenon is something we know very little about in a Danish context. Based on a literature study the purpose of this article is to make school refusal visible as a growing problem in a Danish school context, as well as to discuss the role and tasks of the school in relation to children who don’t want to go to school. The article is based on a state-of-the-art literature study on school refusal in an international perspective, but with a primary focus on school refusal in Denmark. The study is guided by the following research question: What is known from the literature regarding child-motivated refusal to attend school (School Refusal) and how can this information be used to prevent and intervene in practice?
... El rechazo escolar es una problemática que debiera inquietar a las autoridades políticas y educativas (Gonzálvez e Inglés, 2019) y ante la cual habría que intervenir sin dilación, asegurando la reincorporación del estudiante al centro educativo lo antes posible (Ingul et al., 2019). La asistencia a la escuela y el éxito en la misma son reconocidos como derechos propios de los estudiantes (Kearney et al., 2019), por lo que las ausencias escolares no justificadas durante la escolarización obligatoria suponen una violación de las reglas sociales, escolares y los propios derechos del niño (Donat et al., 2018). ...
Durante la escolarización a todo individuo se le pueden presentar situaciones escolares que pueden desencadenar miedos. Este estudio pretende examinar las diferencias en rechazo escolar según altas y bajas puntuaciones en ansiedad anticipatoria y analizar la capacidad predictiva del rechazo escolar sobre la ansiedad anticipatoria. Participaron 879 estudiantes españoles entre los 8 y los 11 años. Los estudiantes con altas puntuaciones en ansiedad anticipatoria obtuvieron puntuaciones medias superiores en rechazo escolar y este fue un predictor positivo y estadísticamente significativo de ansiedad anticipatoria en la mayoría de los casos. Se discuten los hallazgos para mejorar la asistencia escolar.
... Several factors seem common in explaining SRB (5), including school factors such as the student and teacher relationship, the social environment in the school and classroom, social factors such as insufficient social skills and bullying, and emotional factors such as emotional and behavioral problems (6,7). Developmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and language disorders, executive problems, family factors such as physical and mental illness, and trauma such as bullying may also be associated with SRB (5,(7)(8)(9). School absenteeism can have short and long term consequences in young people's academic, emotional and social development. School plays an essential role in a student's life, and problematic absenteeism is associated with a range of problems in adult life, including poor academic outcomes, adult unemployment and poor economic situation (10). ...
When the Norwegian government closed down schools and kindergartens in response to the increased spread of COVID-19, the use of homeschooling raised concerns about students with school refusal behavior and the school system’s ability to address their special needs in these circumstances. Six students referred to the school absenteeism team were interviewed about their circumstances, using an author-developed interview. The results indicate that the students rated homeschooling as very satisfactory. Students with school refusal behavior participated in homeschooling and their attendance continued during the initial reopening of schools.
... Wenn nicht weiter nach der Art der Schulabwesenheit differenziert werden soll, wird -wie auch in diesem Beitrag -oft auf deskriptive Begriffe wie Schulabsentismus ("school absenteeism") oder "Probleme mit dem Schulbesuch" ("school attendance problems") zurückgegriffen. Der von den Autoren bevorzugte, psychiatrisch-psychotherapeutisch akzentuierte Begriff "Schulvermeidendes Verhal- (Ingul, Havik & Heyne, 2019). ...
... Our present study stems from the conceptual understanding that a host of factors that go beyond the individual factor impact, and interact to impact on adolescent school refusal (Devenney & O'Toole, 2021;Heyne et al., 2021;Prabhuswamy, 2018). This will be particularly significant to stakeholders in education given that researchers are of the view that schoolbased intervention programmes should be a priority to curb SRBs among students (Ingul et al., 2019). In this study, we identified the SRBs profiles and established the risk/protective psychosocial factors that impact on adolescents' SRBs. ...
School Refusal Behaviours (SRBs) is potentially a risk factor for students’ academic and mental wellbeing. Effective management of SRBs demands that the heterogeneity of underlying motives/reasons for refusing school among students are taken into consideration. Yet there is inadequate empirical findings on the SRBs profiles and the SRBs risk and protective psychosocial factors among the Nigerian adolescent. Anchored on the bio-ecological agency framework, we aimed to identify SRBs profiles among Nigerian adolescents by employing a person-centered approach, as well as to determine how students in the identified profiles differed on risk and protective psychological/social factors. Using a cross-sectional research design, we surveyed a total of 539 (48.4% = male; 51.6% = female) adolescent students in secondary schools in Anambra State. We used the latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify four profiles among our population: moderate SRB profile, low SRB profile, mixed SRB profile, and high SRB Profile. Regarding the outcome variables, significant differences existed on students’ test anxiety, perceived parent, teacher, classmate supports, and demanding parenting styles. We concluded that adolescents who reported SRBs are not monolithic, and that students who reported higher SBRs could be affected by multiple factors. Our finding is significant given the fact that it points to the need to take into consideration multiple factors in mounting intervention programmes.
... Pertama, istilahnya adalah digunakan untuk menggambarkan fenomena yang dicirikan oleh kesulitan seorang siswa dalam hal ini remaja SMP untuk sekolah. Berbagai faktor risiko dan proses di tingkat individu, keluarga, sekolah, dan masyarakat (Ingul et al., 2019). Seperti Devenney & O'Toole, (2021), berpendapat bahwa tanggung jawab untuk mengatasi school refusal tidak terlelatak pada diri remaja itu sendiri, maupun keluarga. ...
Masa transisi yang dialami siswa remaja SMP ketika memasuki sekolah lanjutan tentunya mengalami beberapa permasalahan berkenaan dengan aspek psikologis. Adanya situasi dan lingkungan yang kurang nyaman bagi siswa berdampak pada satu masalah yakni school refusal. School refusal merupakan kondisi emosional yang dimanifestasikan dengan ketidakinginan siswa untuk menghadiri sekolah. Peran Guru hendaknya dapat memberikan salah satu alternatif solusi. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk memberikan gambaran implementasi konseling berbasis budaya yang dapat diadopsi oleh Guru matapelajaran, maupun Guru BK. Penelitian ini menggunakan literatur review dengan pendekatan studi kepustakaan yang bersumber pada artikel ilmiah dan jurnal penelitian yang relevan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan konsep praktis pendidikan damai dapat digunakan sebagai upaya mereduksi school refusal pada siswa karena prosesnya yang menjunjung tinggi sikap saling menghargai dan menyenangkan untuk hadir ke sekolah
School refusal refers to child- or adolescent-motivated refusal to attend school or remain in school for the duration of the school day. Importantly, the child or adolescent does not conceal their absence from school from their caregivers. Root causes for school refusal include anxiety, mood disorders, untreated learning disorders, and social difficulties. Long-term outcomes of school refusal include further social withdrawal, ongoing mental health issues, and unemployment. This article reviews the differences between school refusal and other types of chronic absenteeism, and it describes behaviors that may manifest in a child or adolescent who avoids attending school. The primary care provider's role in evaluation and treatment of this population is discussed.
Aim: Research suggests that autistic children and young people (CYP) are more likely to experience Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA) than their non-autistic peers. As such, this paper aims to explore factors associated with EBSNA behaviours in autistic children and CYP
Method: The paper takes the form of a systematic literature review, in which quantitative research was examined. Eight papers were found that researched factors associated with EBSNA in autistic CYP. These were critically appraised using Cardiff University’s SURE checklist prior to engaging in a narrative synthesis to critically review the findings.
Findings: The literature synthesis identified overarching themes that grouped together potential factors associated with EBSNA in autistic CYP: child-based factors (age, social-emotional wellbeing and cognitive factors), family-based factors (parental mental wellbeing, parental employment and family illness) and school-based factors (bullying and transition).
Limitations: There was methodological heterogeneity across the studies reviewed, and therefore meta statistical analyses were not performed. This impacts on our ability to make conclusions about the precise impact of the factors identified.
Conclusions: A range of factors impact on autistic CYP EBSNA behaviours, and as such a holistic approach needs to be taken when providing support.
Aim: School attendance problems (SAPs) are a concern across education systems worldwide. SAPs are disproportionally experienced by certain groups of children, in particular those with mental health difficulties. Existing literature has identified myriad factors, including those proximal and distal, that influence attendance for these children. Most studies to date have focused on linear relationships between a small number of variables and fail to differentiate between types of SAPs (Heyne et al., 2019). A broader understanding of the complex context of school attendance problems remains understudied and is the focus of the current study.
Method: Using a qualitative design, we explored a) the SAP typologies and b) the individual characteristics and education-related needs associated with the school attendance problems of 15 children receiving mental health services at a community clinic.
Findings: Analyses of client files indicated that a) emotionally based school avoidance was the most common typology, b) approximately half the sample experienced one type of attendance problem while half experienced multiple types, c) anxiety was experienced by all children, and d) emotional, behavioural, social, and academic needs were noted in relation to SAPs over time. Our findings reflect the complex and varied profiles of students who share the experience of having significant school attendance problems.
Limitations: Limitations of our study include potential bias introduced through the multi-step data extraction process, a reliance on the judgement of clinicians, and a lack of full access to data caused by Covid-19 restrictions.
Conclusions: Future research and practice would benefit from a differentiated approach to understanding, preventing, and intervening to improve attendance and broad success for students with mental health difficulties.
Aim(s): The present study explored perspectives of school staff, who shared their experiences of facilitators and barriers to mainstream school ‘emotional based school avoidance’ (EBSA) initiatives and practices, and school-aged pupils presenting with EBSA, who described what supported or hindered their school experiences.
Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six mainstream school staff and seven school-aged pupils who have engaged in EBSA. Staff interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (RTA), and pupil interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
Findings: Six main themes emerged across the two samples, two of which are presented in the present study: for school staff, ‘Systemic and Unanticipated Barriers’; and for pupils, ‘Pupil’s Sense of Inclusivity’. Findings from school staff suggest that EBSA initiatives and practices are hindered by financial constraints, less cooperative families, and misalignment with external partners, who may function according to different working models. For pupils, the findings suggest their experience is facilitated when they feel included, accepted, have a sense of school belonging, and where there is attention towards their interests, strengths, and achievements.
Limitations: This research did not capture parent voices, even though their involvement is a crucial aspect in supporting their children.
Conclusions: This study highlights some of the long-standing (systemic) challenges as well as those associated with multi-agency working and working with families, which threaten to impede effective EBSA initiatives and practices. It also highlights the power of inclusivity and positive relationships for pupils, which may function as a protective factor to their school attendance.
Chronic absenteeism is a public health concern. School refusal due to emotional distress is one reason students exhibit chronic absenteeism. The objective of this systematic review was to determine potential aspects of interventions, in school settings or involving a school-based component, that are successful in addressing school refusal among high school–age adolescents. After duplicated records were excluded, 1,864 studies were identified from searches. The abstracts and full text articles were independently reviewed and received two votes from each of the five reviewers using the eligibility criteria. Two reviewers independently evaluated the remaining articles and met to discuss findings with a third reviewer. The 10 articles included eight studies that noted techniques in cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) as promising and two studies that considered CBT as effective as other approaches. The study design for three studies were randomized controlled trials. The remaining seven studies were quasiexperimental. Only three of the 10 studies received a high rating using the Quality Appraisal Tool. There was a limited number of quality studies that used rigorous scientific methods and variation in how each study engaged schools. Further exploration and development of interventions with an integral school-based component are needed.
Background
Missing school impacts both education and health. The purpose of this study was to address sickness absence in primary schools by adjusting the ‘Medical Advice for Sick-reported Students’ intervention for secondary schools. This was necessary because of fundamental differences in relation to the children’s age and in the schools’ organizational structure.
Methods
The intervention mapping approach steps 1 through 4 were used to adapt ‘Medical Advice for Sick-reported Students’ to primary schools (MASS-PS), including a literature search, stakeholder interviews, establishing a planning group and pre-testing.
Results
In step 1, a planning group was formed and a logic model of the problem was created. In step 2, a logic model of change was created. In step 3, a theoretical basis and practical strategies were determined. In step 4, practical support materials were designed, and two pre-tests of the materials were performed.
Conclusion
Intervention mapping was successfully used to adapt MASS to primary schools. The main changes were the lowering of the threshold for extensive sickness absence, consultations between teacher and attendance coordinator, and addition of two experts. With MASS-PS, sickness absence can be addressed as a “red flag” for underlying problems.
The aim of this study was to identify the characteristics of school refusal and the components contribute to develop it and to present a conceptual model of school refusal for of elementary school students. This research data was collected and analyzed through qualitative approach and grounded theory. The study population included all the parents, educators and specialist of school refusal in the year of 2018-2019. In pursuit of this goal, 7 child Specialist and 10 parents and educators of student with school refusal meeting the criteria to enter the research were chosen according to the targeted sampling. After semi-structured in-depth interviews was conducted, the obtained findings were as follows: in the characteristics section, a main category and 7 subcategories were obtained. Also, in the section of effective components, 12 subcategories was extracted. After comparing the data obtained from the three groups of interviewees, we tried to design a conceptual model. As school refusal behavior in many cases in the coming years will lead to antisocial behavior and eventually dropping out of school, provide a conceptual model of school refusal behavior in schools, cultural and counseling centers in order to identify this phenomenon better is suggested to use therapeutic methods and prevent the occurrence of several disorders at the same time.
Background
Father's closeness and playful behavior influence a child's emotional and cognitive development. In this study, we aimed to assess the long‐term association of paternal involvement in childcare at 1–3 years of life on subsequent behavioral outcomes at 8 years of age.
Methods
Data were obtained from the 2010 cohort of the Longitudinal Survey of Newborns in the 21st century in Japan. We used group‐based trajectory modeling to predict the trajectory of total childcare scores in surveys 1, 2 and 3 to determine the overall involvement of fathers in childcare during early childhood. The level of fathers' involvement in childcare was categorized as “low”, “medium” and “high”. Responses from the eighth survey were used to assess child behavioral outcomes using five indicators when the child was 8 years old. Crude and adjusted logistic regression analysis was conducted to estimate the odds ratio (OR) separately for each of the behavioral outcomes of the child.
Results
Among the 17,027 father‐child dyads included in this study, two‐thirds of the fathers were of the age group 30–39 years. Compared to low involvement, children of fathers with high involvement in childcare during the early childhood years were less likely to not want to go to school even after adjusting for covariates (adjusted OR, 0.46; 95% CI: 0.32–0.66).
Conclusions
Children benefit from their fathers' involvement in early childcare activities. To improve a child's well‐being, fathers should be encouraged by providing them with a suitable working environment with flexible arrangements and the opportunity to involve in childcare.
School attendance problems is a broader symptomatology that includes “School Refusal” due to internalizing problems and “Truancy” linked to externalizing problems. These different profiles of young patients might highlight specific developmental trajectories and specific risk factor profiles.
The aims of this study is to present retrospective data to compare school refusal to three different populations (Truancy, behavior disorder and Anorexia Nevrosa) of inpatients thought dimensional approach on development and environmental aspects.
In this study, we highlight risk factors profile for school refusal and truancy.
School refusal inpatients are characterized by associated specific risk factors usually found in internalizing problems: medical complications during pregnancy, learning disorder, isolation/reject and bullying in peer relationships. It is frequently associated with a diagnosis of anxiety and depression and suggest difficulties in emotional dysregulation and problems of socializing with peers. In behavior disorder and truancy groups, associated to externalizing problems, the following associated specific factors were found: unwanted pregnancy, substance abuse during pregnancy, baby sleeping disturbances, delayed language development, attachment disorder, learning disorder, physical abuse, violent and conflictual family relationships, breaking contact with parents and a concomitant diagnosis of conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder.
The highlight of these two profiles should enable the identification of specific axes of intervention according to the type of problem, whether internalized or externalized.
School attendance problems (SAPs) have been framed in terms of ‘truancy’, ‘school phobia’, ‘school refusal’, ‘school withdrawal’ and a range of similar terms. This variation reflects the heterogeneity of both SAPs (Kearney et al., 2019), and the varied backgrounds of practitioners conducting SAPs research (Birioukov, 2016). This longstanding discourse suggests the behaviour of absentee children is deviant or neurotic, and their parents are in some way deficient, failing, or neglectful (Southwell, 2006; Donoghue, 2011). However, this fails to address the experiences of parents who actively seek to resolve SAPs, and perceive a child is unable to attend for reasons of anxiety and distress, possibly in relation to school- based influences (e.g., Mind, 2021; Ditch the Label, 2020). These aspects of SAPs have received scant attention in the literature. Therefore, to understand this phenomenon better, this study set out to investigate the perspectives and experiences of parents in this situation.
Email-based interviews were conducted with forty members of a social media- based support group for parents seeking support for their children’s SAPs. Thematic Analysis of data led to the concept of ‘Parents Journeys’ through SAPs, setting out an overview of common experiences. This indicated how social and systemic responses to SAPs act as barriers that prevent or hinder parents’ ability to comply with their legal duty to ensure children access an education (section 7, Education Act 1996). It was noted that a tension exists where parents who participated in this study have a shared understanding of SAPs which validates their experiences, yet this is at odds with the shared reality and understanding of school staff and other professionals.
Recent research highlights the importance of holistic assessment of individual circumstances to better understand the influence of school and wider systemic factors upon cases of SAPs (e.g., Melvin et al. 2019). In this study an adapted version of Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Model (1979, 1998, 2005) conceptualised the social and systemic complexity of the SAPs context from the parental viewpoint. This adapted model offers a new way to understand how the successful resolution of SAPs will require multi-level changes in school attendance related discourse, practice, and policy.
Persistent school absences in England have been on an upwards trend since 2018 (an approximate 1.3% increase, not counting pupils missing due to Covid-19). Current government data on absenteeism do not differentiate between the types of school refusers (DfE, 2011; UK Government, 2022c), leading to the view that pupils are truanting or missing school by choice. Given the recently increased attendance expectations for schools in England by the DfE (2022), a lack of understanding of emotional-based school avoidance (EBSA) may lead to a less caring ethos and more punitive punishments. Detrimentally, research has shown that when pupils’ anxieties go unsupported, they are more likely to experience significant school difficulties (Thambirajah et al., 2008). Long-term, these can lead to higher risks of developing psychiatric disorders, alcohol and drug dependency, and social isolation in adulthood (Chou et al., 2006; Jaafar et al., 2013). Recognising the importance of the environmental aspect surrounding pupils’ lives, including school and adults (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006), this study explores the views of school staff and pupils on EBSA provisions available in mainstream schools in Borough A (pseudonym). With the intent to form a more profound understanding of EBSA identification, assessment, and intervention practices, this study’s findings directly support my employing local authority in developing policy and guidance for schools. In addition, the research extends existing knowledge on educational psychologists’ current and prospective roles in supporting mainstream school EBSA initiatives. By adopting a qualitative research design, views of six mainstream school staff and seven school-aged pupils who are experiencing or have experienced EBSA were successfully elicited. School staff participants shared the facilitators and barriers to good mainstream school EBSA initiatives, and pupils shared what made a difference to or hindered their school experiences. Findings were analysed using two methods: school staff interviews using reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) to capture common themes across schools, and pupil interviews using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to capture lived experiences. Findings highlight the importance for schools to establish clear processes around EBSA, including those to identify, assess, and support pupils, alongside the importance of collaborative working with families and external partners. Furthermore, it reiterates pupils’ desires for a positive school climate, and the impact of positive social relationships on their school experiences. Further implications of these findings for schools and educational psychologists are also discussed, to ensure that EBSA is managed well.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an empirically supported and well-established treatment for youth anxiety disorders. CBT therapists often involve parents and school staff in treatment to promote the generalization of therapeutic gains across settings. To facilitate therapist communication with those who provide collateral support, we discuss both general guidelines and specific examples of how parents and teachers can best support anxious youth by acting as coping models, labeling and validating anxious feelings, rewarding brave behavior, and reducing accommodations. We provide answers to questions commonly asked by parents (e.g., “How should I respond ‘in the moment’ when my child is anxious?”) and by school personnel (e.g., “What is a useful role for a school in child treatment”). Handouts summarizing main concepts for parents and schools are provided.
Classroom climate, though difficult to define and assess, affects student learning especially in the elementary schools. Much of the current research focuses on the primary architect of classroom climate — the teacher. There is little doubt that teacher behaviors determine the overall climate of the classroom, but peer actions and reactions also significantly affect classroom climate for individual students. This article briefly highlights peer relationship’s impact on student motivation and performance. An informal method, sociogram, is described for use by school psychologists in collaboration with teachers to confirm social peer status and hierarchy in the classroom. Results of a class sociogram help to identify the need for individual and/or classroom-wide intervention; and the data can also be used to assess effects of such interventions. Sociograms can supplement teacher observations to promote a positive learning environment for all students.
The concept of “extended non-attendance” (“school phobia” or “school refusal”) was distinguished from truancy early in the twentieth century, and refers to children who fear school and avoid attending. Despite much subsequent research, outcomes for those affected remain poor, and their voices remain largely absent from the evidence base. The current study sought to address this by examining the experiences of four secondary-age children with extended attendance difficulties. Data consisted of semi-structured interviews conducted in participants’ homes, subsequently analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Although participants differed markedly in their perception of the causes of their non-attendance, their support experiences appear remarkably similar. Emergent themes include being disbelieved, experiencing fragmented support, and feeling blamed and punished. Implications for practitioners include the importance of ensuring early intervention, the need to consider the individual child, and the importance of making sure that local intervention practices are informed by the evidence base.
School absenteeism is a significant social and public health problem. However, existing prevalence rates are often not representative due to biased assessment processes at schools. The present study assessed school absenteeism in Germany using a nationwide online self-report survey. Although our definition of school absenteeism was more conservative than in previous studies, nearly 9 % of the 1359 high school students reported school absenteeism within the past 7 days. Absent students lived less often with both parents, were on average of lower socioeconomic status, and reported more emotional problems, behavioral problems and less prosocial behavior than attending students. Being an indicator of a wide variety of problems in children and adolescents, school absenteeism deserves much more attention. Future directions for research and implications for prevention and intervention programs are discussed.
The primary aim of this study was to investigate how students’ perceptions of relationships with peers at school and teachers’ classroom management are associated with school refusal-related reasons and truancy-related reasons for school non-attendance. The study included controls for emotional stability and relevant parental variables. A student self-report questionnaire was implemented, and students were recruited from 45 schools in seven municipalities in Norway. The survey was conducted at the end of the autumn term in 2012, with a total of 5,465 students from the 6th–10th grades participating. The sample of students was examined to obtain a subsample consisting of those students who reported that they had been absent from school at some time during the past 3 months ( N=3,629 ). Multivariate associations were studied in this subsample through the use of structural equation modeling. The findings of this study suggest that poor relationships with peers at school could be an important risk factor for school refusal and could be a moderate risk factor for truancy. Moreover, according to these results, teachers’ classroom management could play a role in school refusal indirectly by preventing bullying and social exclusion by peers. Finally, a direct association of teachers’ classroom management with school refusal-related and truancy-related reasons was found among secondary school students, suggesting that perceived poor support from teachers could increase the risk of school refusal and truancy among these students. The present study underscores the importance of efforts to prevent bullying as a measure to reduce school refusal. Finally, the findings imply that the role of school factors must always be taken into account in connection with unexcused school non-attendance.
School refusal behavior refers to a student's refusal to attend school or difficulty remaining in classes for an entire day. The problem is pervasive and exacts a heavy toll on students and school systems if left unaddressed. Although assessment and treatment protocols have been developed for this population, they are not always amenable to school-based settings with limited resources. This article briefly reviews the common characteristics of youths with school refusal behavior, outlines assessment and treatment protocols, and offers suggestions for frontline personnel who first address cases of school refusal behavior. In particular, suggestions are made with respect to initial engagement of family members, assessment, intervention, and referral and follow-up.
The aim of the present study is to assess reasons for school non-attendance including somatic symptoms, subjective health complaints, truancy, and school refusal and to investigate the relationship of these with gender, grade, and self-reported special educational needs. The study is based on a self-reported questionnaire distributed to students recruited from seven municipalities in Norway. The total sample included 5,465 students in the sixth to tenth grades. The measurement model yielded indices of good fit, and the four suggested dimensions of reasons for school non-attendance were supported. Subjective health complaints emerged as the most commonly reported reason for school non-attendance, whereas 6.2% of students reported that their non-attendance “quite often” was due to truancy- or school refusal-related reasons. There was a tendency for students who report special educational needs to report more truancy reasons and for females to report more school refusal reasons. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Parental characteristics such as psychopathology and parenting practices are understood to be implicated in school-refusal presentations. Expanding upon these largely affective and behavioral factors, the present study sought to examine the role of a parenting cognitive construct-parenting self-efficacy-in understanding school-refusal. School-refusing adolescents (n = 60, 53% male) and school-attending adolescents (n = 46, 39% male) aged 12-17 years (M = 13.93, SD = 1.33), along with a parent, participated in the study. Participants completed study measures of demographics, psychopathology, overall family functioning, and parenting self-efficacy. As expected, parents of school-refusing adolescents were found to have lower levels of parental self-efficacy than parents of school-attending adolescents. Parenting self-efficacy was inversely associated with parent- and adolescent- psychopathology as well as family dysfunction. Logistic regression analyses determined parenting self-efficacy to be a predictor of school-refusal. However, upon controlling for related constructs including family dysfunction, adolescent depression, and parent depression, the predictive capacity of parenting self-efficacy was eliminated. Taken together, the results highlight the likely complex relationships between parental self-efficacy, familial psychopathology, and dysfunctional family processes within this population. Research is required to further delineate these dynamic relationships among families of school-refusing adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).
The aim of this study was to explore parents’ perspectives on the role of school factors in school refusal (SR). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 parents who had experienced SR with their own child. They identified several school factors related to SR. Some of these findings suggest that students who are prone to SR need more predictability and more teachers’ support than they sometimes get in school. Their need for predictability seems to occur particularly during less structured activities and during transitions in school. Findings also imply that disruptive behavior among classmates and harsh management from teachers affects perceived predictability and support for SR-prone students. All parents expressed concern about bullying, and roughly a third of them reported that their child had been a victim of bullying. Insufficient adaptation of schoolwork was also mentioned relatively frequently. Parents emphasized that adaptation of schoolwork needs to be done in close cooperation with the student and parents to avoid negative differentiation from classmates or stigma. Finally, several parents commented that teachers and schools need more knowledge about SR and felt that schools needed a more coordinated approach to supporting students who are at risk of SR.
Childhood depressive symptoms may arise from genetic and environmental risks, which act to bias the ways in which children process emotional information. Previous studies show that several "cognitive biases" are heritable and share genetic and environmental risks with depressive symptoms. Past research suggests that many cognitive biases only reflect genetic risks for depressive symptoms from adolescence. The present study sought to identify (a) when interpersonal cognitions mature as risk factors for depressive symptoms by examining whether these factors are stable and predict symptoms across time in childhood, and (b) the extent to which interpersonal cognitions reflect inherited/environmental risks on children's depressive symptoms. Results showed that there was some stability for interpersonal cognitive biases from age 8 to 10 years (rs = .32-.43). Only the absence of positive self/other perceptions, and negative peer and mother expectations at age 8 predicted depressive symptoms at age 10 (after controlling for depressive symptoms at age 8). The absence of positive self/other perceptions shared genetic influences with depressive symptoms within and across time. Across middle to late childhood, interpersonal cognitions begin to operate as vulnerability-trait factors for depressive symptoms, gradually reflecting distal genetic risks on symptoms.
School refusal brings children into conflict with the immediate family, the school, and the community,
thus affecting their social and psychological well-being. School refusal may be an emotional problem
of the child that is closely associated with unresolved dependency relationships, usually with the
mother. The nature of this pathology can be meaningfully understood from a psychoanalytic perspective,
which is presented in this article, accompanied by a case presentation. Central to this pathology
are hostility issues expressed in transference and counter-transference, which often perplexes adults
who are close to the child. Parents, educators, and health care professionals might overlook the actual
emotional cause of the problem and respond with anger, forcing the child to return to school. However,
school refusal requires comprehensive psychosocial interventions at the individual level and at the
level of relationships among the child, the family, and the school.
Background:
The School Anxiety Inventory (SAI) can be applied in different fields of psychology. However, due to the inventory's administration time, it may not be useful in certain situations. To address this concern, the present study developed a short version of the SAI (the SAI-SV).
Method:
This study examined the reliability and validity evidence drawn from the scores of the School Anxiety Inventory-Short Version (SAI-SV) using a sample of 2,367 (47.91% boys) Spanish secondary school students, ranging from 12 to 18 years of age. To analyze the dimensional structure of the SAI-SV, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were applied. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were calculated for SAI-SV scores.
Results:
A correlated three-factor structure related to school situations (Anxiety about Aggression, Anxiety about Social Evaluation, and Anxiety about Academic Failure) and a three-factor structure related to the response systems of anxiety (Physiological Anxiety, Cognitive Anxiety, and Behavioral Anxiety) were identified and supported. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were determined to be appropriate.
Conclusions:
The reliability and validity evidence based on the internal structure of SAI-SV scores was satisfactory.
Background
Regular school attendance is foundational to children’s success but school absenteeism is a common, serious, and highly vexing problem. Researchers from various disciplines have produced a rich yet diverse literature for conceptualizing problematic absenteeism that has led to considerable confusion and lack of consensus about a pragmatic and coordinated assessment and intervention approach.
Objective
To lay the foundation and suggested parameters for a Response to Intervention (RtI) model to promote school attendance and address school absenteeism.
Methods
This is a theoretical paper guided by a systematic search of the empirical literature related to school attendance, chronic absenteeism, and the utilization of an RtI framework to address the needs of school-aged children and youth.
Results
The RtI and absenteeism literature over the past 25 years have both emphasized the need for early identification and intervention, progress monitoring, functional behavioral assessment, empirically supported procedures and protocols, and a team-based approach. An RtI framework promotes regular attendance for all students at Tier 1, targeted interventions for at-risk students at Tier 2, and intense and individualized interventions for students with chronic absenteeism at Tier 3.
Conclusions
An RtI framework such as the one presented here could serve as a blueprint for researchers as well as educational, mental health, and other professionals. To develop this model and further enhance its utility for all youth, researchers and practitioners should strive for consensus in defining key terms related to school attendance and absenteeism and focus more on prevention and early intervention efforts.
Anxiety is a major risk factor for problematic school absenteeism. However, most anxious students attend school. What differentiates anxious attenders from non-attenders?
High school students (N = 865) were assigned to groups based on anxiety and absenteeism scores. These groups were then tested for differences in risk factor profiles using discriminant analysis.
Anxious school attenders were less affected by negative personality traits, total number of risk factors, social anxiety, panic, and behavioural and family problems. They also displayed greater resilience.
This study indicates that the risk for problematic school absenteeism increases as the number of risk factors aggregate and that treatment for anxious school refusal should be based on a profile of the individual's risk factors.
Chronic non-attendance has generally focused on the distinction between truancy and school refusal: the former has traditionally been linked to conduct disorder, the latter to separation anxiety disorder. However, research has demonstrated that truancy and school refusal exist in the absence of such disorders and, more significantly, that some children and young people exhibit the characteristics of both types of non-attendance behaviour. In the 1990s, a functional analysis became more popular in understanding the problem; that is, examining the reasons why pupils fail to attend school. This has led to more recognition of the schools' responsibility for the presenting difficulties. Research into the various intervention programmes available for tackling non-attendance has failed to find any conclusive evidence in favour of a particular approach. The effectiveness of intervention may depend upon an individual pupil's particular needs and his/her specific reasons for refusing to go to school, but also the importance of involving school and family in responding to the problem is outlined as a potentially key factor.
Pupil absence remains a puzzling and complex issue. This report presents results from a 12 month study of absence from school in seven Local Education Authorities in England. It explores the views of younger pupils, parents, teachers and others working with children about the causes of absence, the role parents play in non-attendance, and measures taken by LEAs and schools to reduce absence levels.
Many children and teenagers refuse to attend school or have anxiety-related difficulties that stop them from remaining in classes for an entire day. School refusal behaviour can contribute to a child's academic, social and psychological problems, can impact upon their chances for future educational, financial and personal success, and can significantly affect family functioning. This Therapist Guide outlines treatment protocols based on CBT techniques that can be used to effectively address the main types of school refusal behaviour. It concentrates on four primary reasons why children typically refuse school: to relieve school-related distress; to avoid negative social or evaluative situations at school; to receive attention from a parent or a significant other; and to obtain tangible rewards outside of school. The guide includes tools for assessing a child's reasons for school refusal behaviour and presents well-tested techniques arranged by function to tailor treatment to a child's particular characteristics. Each treatment package also contains a detailed discussion of special topics pertinent to treating young people with school refusal behaviour, such as medication, panic attacks and being teased. A corresponding Workbook is available for parents, who often play an important part in a child's recovery.
School attendance problems like school refusal and truancy pose a significant risk to young people’s optimal development. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may be regarded as the state-of-the-art treatment for school refusal. Numerous studies have examined predictors of the outcome of CBT for school refusal, but very few studies have examined moderators and mediators of outcome. This chapter reviews the studies of predictors, moderators, and mediators, and presents six key issues to progress research in this field. Implications for the treatment of school refusal are discussed, including the obvious need to improve treatment for socially anxious school refusers. The chapter also summarizes the literature on indicated interventions for truancy. Although many truancy programs exist, there is very limited knowledge about the factors that moderate and mediate outcomes for truanting youth.
School attendance problems (SAPs) are heterogeneous with respect to etiology and presentation. The long history of conceptualizing SAPs has led to a vast array of terms and definitions as well as different perspectives on the most helpful approach to classification. For educators, practitioners, researchers, and policymakers, this presents a challenge in understanding, assessing, and intervening with SAPs. This paper outlines evolution in the conceptualization of SAPs, focusing on two contemporary approaches to differentiating between them. One approach draws on the longstanding differentiation between SAP types labeled school refusal, truancy, and school withdrawal. A fourth type of SAP, labeled school exclusion, is also considered. The other approach focuses on the function of absenteeism, measured via the School Refusal Assessment Scale (SRAS). Anecdotal and scientific support for the SAP typology is presented, along with the benefits and shortcomings of the SRAS approach to differentiation. The paper offers suggestions for how to differentiate between SAPs and introduces the SNACK, a brief screening measure that permits differentiation by SAP type.
The current paper presents an update to the model of social anxiety disorder (social phobia) published by Rapee and Spence (2004). It evaluates the research over the intervening 11 years and advances the original model in response to the empirical evidence. We review the recent literature regarding the impact of genetic and biological influences, temperament, cognitive factors, peer relationships, parenting, adverse life events and cultural variables upon the development of SAD. The paper draws together recent literature demonstrating the complex interplay between these variables, and highlights the many etiological pathways. While acknowledging the considerable progress in the empirical literature, the significant gaps in knowledge are noted, particularly the need for further longitudinal research to clarify causal pathways, and moderating and mediating effects. The resulting model will be valuable in informing the design of more effective treatment and preventive interventions for SAD and will provide a useful platform to guide future research directions.
Increasingly, schools are implementing school-based screening for risk of behavioral and emotional problems; hence, foundational evidence supporting the predictive validity of screening instruments is important to assess. This study examined the predictive validity of the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Student Form (BESS Student) in the authentic context of an urban high school that conducted universal screening over three years. Multivariate regression, sensitivity, specificity, and Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analyses were used to examine the BESS Student scores prediction of internalizing symptoms. BESS Student scores were able to explain a significant proportion of the variance in internalizing symptoms concurrently, but predictive validity estimates decreased over time. Significant gender differences were present; BESS Student scores were better able to predict internalizing symptoms for females. Implications for research and practice involving screening for behavioral and emotional problems are discussed.
Following Bandura's theory, a Self-efficacy Questionnaire for School Situations (SEQ-SS) was developed to assess the cognitions of school refusers. The instrument contains twelve school-related situations which are rated by children according to their belief about their ability to cope with each situation. Factor analysis yielded two reliable factors labelled Academic/Social Stress and Separation/Discipline Stress. Psychometric evaluation also revealed good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Total self-efficacy scores for 135 school refusers ranged from very low to very high. Self-efficacy was highest with regard to doing school work and lowest with regard to answering peers' questions about absences. The clinical utility of the SEQ-SS is discussed, with implications for the selection of cognitive and behavioural treatment procedures. The application of the instrument in future research is also considered.
Traditionally, mental health professionals and school authorities have found school refusal to be a perplexing and challenging problem. Relevant to an understanding of school refusal, we initially review some important developmental-normative considerations. The clinical features, epidemiology, and etiology of school refusal are also briefly discussed. We then describe a number of behavioural strategies that have been used in the management of school refusal. Finally, we review the research support for the efficacy and acceptability of behavioural strategies in the treatment of school refusal.
Teachers and governments all agree that if you wish to raise educational standards then it’s imperative to improve school attendance, and yet an average of around ten per cent of secondary pupils are missing school on a daily basis. Despite governments around the globe trying to address this situation, any improvements have been negligible and improvements in school attendance have been stubbornly hard to achieve.
Objective: To study the prevalence of 'school refusal' in the United Arab Emirates. Methods: A community survey of a stratified sample (N=1100) of 6-12 year old primary school children was carried out in Al Ain city, United Arab Emirates using the Parents' and Teachers' versions of the Rutter Questionnaire for children's psychological health. Results: Completed reports about 911 children were obtained. Of them. 4.1 % had school refusal (refusal to go to, or getting distressed when they arrive at school). The prevalence rate was higher in boys than girls. Those with school refusal were compared to non-refusers matched for school, age and gender. The results showed that refusers showed higher rates of psychopathology (46% vs. 20% according to teachers' reports and 27% vs. 3% according to parents' reports). However, contrary to expectations, refusers were mostly showing behavior problems (14%-35%) rather than emotional problems (8%-14%), particularly in older children. Conclusion: School refusal is infrequent in Arab children in the United Arab Emirates, but is more likely to be associated with symptoms of behavioral disorders. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed.
Theoretical Background Therapeutic Goals and Methods Treatment Delivery Modules Implemented with the Young Person Modules Implemented with the Parents Modules Implemented with School Staff Empirical Findings
Objectives: To assess school refusal (school phobia) outcome in adult life.
Method: A 10 year follow-up used questionnaires completed by the target group of young adults and their parents and telephone interviews with their parents. Comparison groups were used.
Results: Psychiatric disorder was present in 30 % and caseness in a further 20%.
Conclusions: There is a need to identify interventions with long lasting effectiveness in this childhood disorder.
The author discusses the context in which absenteeism and truancy occur through an analysis of risk and protective mechanisms
and suggests best practice methods based on a review of literature and research on several successful absenteeism and truancy
prevention and reduction programs. The author suggests ways that school social workers can participate in truancy prevention
and reduction projects through collaborative efforts with other school professionals, community organizations, social services
agencies, parents, and school children.
A subset of children with school refusal also have anxiety disorders. Though the combination of school refusal and anxiety in youth has been associated with a host of poor outcomes (Epstein and Sheldon in J Educ Res 95:308-318, 2002. doi:10.1080/00220670209596604; Birmaher et al. in Pediatr Clin North Am 45:1187-1204, 1998. doi:10.1016/S0031-3955(05)70069-9), little is known about youth with anxiety disorders who exhibit school reluctance. Youth with school refusal actually miss school, whereas youth who are school reluctant may want to avoid school but do attend. It is important to consider emotional and social functioning in youth with school reluctance, given that school reluctance may be common among anxious youth. Additionally, school reluctant youth may still exhibit significantly greater distress despite their school attendance than non-school reluctant youth. This study examined associations among school reluctance, somatic problems, social and emotional functioning, and anxiety severity in a sample of youth diagnosed with one or more anxiety disorders. Based on child self-report, school reluctant (SR) children exhibit greater loneliness and negative affect than their non-school reluctant (NSR) peers. Clinicians rated SR children as having greater anxiety severity than NSR children based on semi-structured interviews administered to each child. Additionally, SR children have greater somatic problems than NSR children according to parent-report. Results of this study suggest the need for parents, teachers, and clinicians to work together in the treatment of school reluctance in children with anxiety disorders.
It is argued that the adolescent onset of social anxiety disorder (SAD) may be partly attributable to an increase in avoidance of social situations across this period. The current cohort-sequential study investigated developmental pathways of social avoidance in adolescence and examined the explanatory role of social anxiety and negative cognitive processes. A community sample of youth (9–21 years, N = 331) participated in a four-wave study. Trajectory analyses revealed two pathways: an increased avoidance pathway and a low avoidance pathway. The pathways were hardly distinguishable at age 9 and they steadily diverged across adolescence. Logistic regression analyses showed that social anxiety and post-event rumination were significantly related to the increased avoidance pathway; anticipatory processing and self-focused attention were not. The findings suggest that adolescence is a key developmental period for the progression of social avoidance among youth who show relatively high levels of social anxiety and post-event rumination.
School refusal can be difficult to treat and the poorest treatment response is observed among older school refusers. This poor response may be explained, in part, by the impact of developmental transitions and tasks upon the young person, their family, and the treatment process. This paper describes and illustrates the @school program, a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) designed to promote developmental sensitivity when planning and delivering treatment for adolescent school refusal. Treatment is modularized and it incorporates progress reviews, fostering a planned yet flexible approach to CBT. The treatment is illustrated in the case of Allison, a 16-year-old female presenting with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. A case formulation guided the selection, sequencing, and pacing of modules targeting predisposing, precipitating, perpetuating, and protective factors. Treatment comprised 16 sessions with Allison (interventions addressing depression, anxiety, and school attendance) and 15 concurrent sessions with her mother (strategies to facilitate an adolescent's school attendance), including two sessions with Allison and mother together (family communication and problem solving to reduce parent-adolescent conflict). Two treatment-related consultations were also conducted with Allison's homeroom teacher. Allison's school attendance improved during the course of treatment. By post-treatment, there was a decrease in internalizing behavior, an increase in self-efficacy, and remission of depressive disorder and anxiety disorder. Clinically significant treatment gains were maintained at 2-month follow-up. Factors influencing outcome may include those inherent to the @school program together with less specific factors. Special consideration is given to parents' use of both authoritative and autonomy-granting approaches when helping an adolescent to attend school.
Researchers and policy makers have questioned the efficacy of family-involvement interventions. They believe that more studies are needed to compare outcomes of students whose families received a partnership intervention with those who did not. The author used data from the state of Ohio to compare student attendance in elementary schools that developed school-wide programs of school, family, and community partnerships with the attendance of students in schools that did not develop the programs. Analyses showed that in schools working to implement school, family, and community partnerships, student attendance improved an average of .5%, whereas in comparison schools, rates of student attendance declined slightly from 1 year to the next. Further analysis suggested that school outreach to families was the driving mechanism that caused this effect.