What Do We Mean By School Refusal?

School refusal is not the child who really would rather stay home, complains and balks about going but the parent is able to get their child to school and he/she is fine when they get there and have a great day.

Shifting from a more relaxed summer routine to early wake-ups, hours in class, and dreaded homework makes many students feel mildly anxious or cranky during the early weeks of a new school year. 

For some students, however, school feels so difficult and overwhelming that they experience significant, distressing anxiety and sometimes, physical symptoms around attending and staying in school. To relieve this anxiety or discomfort, a child may begin to avoid school.

School refusal can take many forms. It can include behaviors like frequently struggling to arrive at school on time, leaving before the school day ends, or not attending school at all.

Headaches, fatigue, stomachaches, and other physical symptoms of anxiety may make it hard to get off to school in the morning or make it feel necessary to leave early.

School avoidance allows a child to escape distressing aspects of the school day, which provides immediate short-term relief. However, when a student continues to miss school, returning can feel harder and harder as he/she falls behind academically and starts to feel socially disconnected from classmates and teachers.

Additionally, the child doesn’t get the chance to learn that it’s possible to handle school-related anxiety and cope with any challenges the school day brings. This can keep him/her stuck in a vicious cycle of school avoidance.

Physical Symptoms In Children With School Refusal

• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Headaches
• Heart palpitations
• Chest pain
• Muscular aches throughout the body
• Shaking or trembling
• Vomiting