School Phobia
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What is School Phobia / Refusal?
School refusal syndrome occurs when the child simply refuses to go to school, owing to some reason or the other. The child may not want to go to school or simply refuse to do so due to fear or some other reason. He could also have a school avoidance disorder which may even manifest as physical symptoms, like sickness or general sadness in the mornings. Due to anxiety, the child may prefer staying at home and doing other activities instead of going to school.
Causes of School Phobia in Kids
The reasons behind why the child has school phobia can be many, and it is important to understand them from the child’s perspective. Some common reasons behind school refusal syndrome are given below:
- Anxiety about being evaluated: A school is a place of constant evaluation, where all the capabilities of the child are measured and put up on display. If the child refuses to go to school on certain days, such as sports day or mandatory public speaking days, he may feel anxious about having to perform under pressure, and thus choose to avoid the entire episode.
- Separation anxiety: It is not just babies that face separation anxiety, grown-up kids can experience it, too. Having been raised by caring parents, the prospect of being thrust into an environment where such care is not given can be harsh for the child.
- Academic problems: Academic problems or learning difficulties are common in children, and the pressures associated with them can grow to such an extent that the child may choose to avoid school altogether.
- Peer issues. A school is a place where the child has to interact with a multitude of other people, including his peers. Social isolation, bullying or conflicts with friends are common among children, so the child may refuse to go to school entirely.
- Conflict with teachers: If your child finds a teacher intimidating, he might avoid school altogether.
- Traumatic events: Some traumatic events like separation of the parents, the death of a family member or divorce can result in school refusal in children.
- Transition: Moving to a new school or even a new place can make it difficult for the child to adjust, and he may choose to stay at home in a comfortable environment rather than go to school.
- Rewards at home: Staying at home means that they get to spend time with their parents or do trivial fun activities like watching TV. The child may choose to do that instead of spending time at school.
Signs And Symptoms

School phobia is something that can easily be noticed, especially by parents. There are obvious symptoms that show the child does not like going to school, including straightforward refusal. Here are some more common symptoms:
- The child may cry and get tearful over the prospect of going to school and plead with the parents to let him stay at home.
- Tantrums, dawdling or even running away from school are other common symptoms.
- In order to fake a legitimate reason, the child may complain about illnesses like stomach ache, headaches or dizziness when the time to go to school arrives.
- Another common symptom is when the child has a noticeable difficulty to return to school after long absences, like holidays, vacations or even sports days.
- The child may choose to spend time elsewhere without going to school and have long, unexplained absences.
- Occasionally, the child may miss classes or be absent for specific periods, with no real explanation given.
- Late to arrive at school is another manifestation of school refusal syndrome in children.
- In order to stay away from the spotlight, the child may be a frequent visitor to the sick bay at school.
Treatment of School Refusal
The treatment largely involves a psychological approach, and various counselling and desensitisation techniques.
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy: It is a derivative of Behavior Therapy, and is done to correct inappropriate and maladaptive behaviour in the children.
- Systematic Desensitisation: The child is gradually taught and helped to modify his reaction to school and make it less harsh on himself emotionally.
- Exposure Therapy: The child is exposed to the stressful environment gradually, and is guided throughout to correct his maladaptive reactions to the situation and cope well with the changes.
- Operant Behavioral Techniques: This involves rewarding the child for the desired behaviour so that the frequency of the behaviour increases.
