WHAT IS SCHOOL PHOBIA (SCHOOL REFUSAL)?

School phobia or refusal is generally considered to be a genuine anxiety relating to school in which the child refusing to attend. Children who suffer from this syndrome typically will try to avoid going to school at all costs. The telltale difference between a child who regularly “skips” classes or days and a school phobic is that the anxious child will be ashamed of his or her inability to go to school.

The most common symptoms that children experience are nausea, upset stomach, and headache. These complaints obviously mask the anxiety the child experiences, which tends to rise dramatically when the parent tries to get their child to go to school.

Children develop school phobia for a variety of reasons. Being a victim of bullying at school, social concerns with peers, or family issues are the most common issues that result in school phobia . Younger children may suffer from extreme separation anxiety and older kids may be worried about exams, their performance in class, or what they perceive some of their classmates are going to do with him or her.