MCC Newsletter

Counsellor and Well Being News

What is School Refusal?

School refusal is not ‘wagging’ or truancy. 

School refusal is a very complex issue and tends to be related to worry and anxiety about going to school. Young people will get extremely upset at the idea of going to school, and often miss some, or all of the school day and this distress doesn’t go away.

Students who refuse to go to school don’t typically engage in the antisocial behaviours usually linked with truancy (such as lying, stealing or destruction of property). Unlike truancy, the absence isn’t usually hidden from family. 

Refusal can be considered as an emotional problem rather than misbehaviour.

 

What are the signs?

It's not unusual for students to sometimes be nervous or worried about going to school. But for some students, this worry and anxiety can be excessive and can lead to school refusal. 

If your child refuses to go to school, you might feel that school nights and mornings are a ‘battle of wills’. The young person may:

  • cry, throw tantrums, yell or scream, dawdle
  • hide or lock themselves in their room
  • refuse to move
  • beg or plead not to go
  • complain of aches, pains and illness before school, which generally get better if you let your child stay at home
  • frequently request to go home or to call a family member
  • spend long periods in sick bay
  • be absent or late to school
  • show high levels of anxiety
  • have trouble sleeping the night before school
  • display oppositional or challenging behaviours before school
  • threaten to hurt themselves.

What causes school refusal? 

There are lots of reasons why a student might refuse school. The reasons will be different for each child or young person. School refusal can happen at any age but is more likely to occur during times of transition (for example, starting secondary school) or major family events (such as separation or family bereavement). 

Usually, there’s no single event or reason, but rather various factors that contribute to a child or young person’s non-attendance. School refusal might start gradually or happen suddenly. 

 

Contributing factors might include:

  • stressful events at home, school or with peers
  • anxiety about social situations
  • anxiety around activities that involve a performance or evaluation (such as sports days, tests or speaking in front of the class)
  • peer issues, such as social isolation, bullying or conflict with friends
  • difficulty or conflict with educators
  • academic problems, poor school results or learning difficulties
  • anxiety around being separated from significant family members
  • traumatic events, such as a family illness, grief or parental separation/divorce, exposure to family violence
  • difficulties with transition, such as moving to a new school
  • mental health issues

School refusal, non-attendance or reluctance to attend are symptoms of an underlying problem. It’s important to identify, understand and address these deeper causes when supporting a child or young person to return to school or attend consistently. 

 

What are the consequences?

School refusal is a serious issue that’s best managed early. It is very easy for the pattern of school refusal to escalate quickly. It can result in falling behind in school work, which further drives anxiety not to attend; disengagement from peers and teachers and gradually losing their sense of belonging at the school and the longer the absences from school the greater anxiety to return.

Long absences mean children and young people miss out on large chunks of the curriculum. School refusal can also create conflict and strained relationships within families through disruptions to their routines. It might even affect income when family members forgo work to stay home with the child or young person. 

Children and young people who miss school by refusing to go might also face long-term problems. Research shows school refusal can contribute to mental health issues, emotional and social issues, exiting school early and occupational dysfunction in later life.

 

Getting help

Getting help and support from within the school or local community can be a good first step, as early detection and intervention is essential. The longer the issue persists, the more difficult it can be to re-engage the child or young person with their learning.

Identifying the cause and working collaboratively with the school and other professionals involved is essential. By taking appropriate steps it is possible to minimise the negative impact over time.

 

It is important for the young person to go to school while they are receiving help for the issue that has caused the school refusal. Going to school builds confidence and resilience. It keeps your child connected to learning and is important for social development.

Families can get professional help to learn about managing school refusal and to sort out the problems behind it.

 

If your child is saying they feel sick, make an appointment with your GP to check it out. If there are no physical reasons for your child feeling sick, your GP might refer you to a paediatrician, psychologist or psychiatrist. A psychiatrist or psychologist will usually do an assessment to see whether the school refusal is linked to issues like anxiety or depression. Therapies and supports for school refusal will probably work better if your child is also getting help for anxiety or depression.

Practical strategies to encourage your child to go to school

  • Show your child that you understand. For example, you could say, ‘I can see you’re worried about going to school. I know it’s hard, but it’s good for you to go. Your teachers and I will help you’.
  • Use clear, calm statements that let your child know you expect them to go to school. Say ‘when’ rather than ‘if’. For example, you can say, ‘When you’re at school tomorrow ...’ instead of ‘If you make it to school tomorrow ...’.
  • Use direct statements that don’t give your child the chance to say ‘No!’ For example, ‘It’s time to get out of bed’ or ‘Please get up and into the shower’.
  • Plan for a calm start to the day by having morning and evening routines. For example, get uniforms, lunches and school bags ready the night before, and have regular bed times.
  • Make your home ‘boring’ during school hours so that you don’t accidentally reward your child for not going to school. This means no screens, phones, games or devices during school hours.
  • Get your child to do work provided by the school while at home to avoid falling behind with class work
  • Get someone else to drop your child at school, if you can.
  • Praise and reward your child for going to school. For example, if your child goes regularly, they could earn bonus technology time or their favourite meal for dinner.

For more information please check out School Refusal edition on SchoolTV

 

 

Karen Surian

College Counsellor