In order to use attendance monitoring within an integrative strategy for preventing, assessing and addressing cases of youth with school absenteeism, we need to know whether the attendance data ...collected by schools cover all students with (emerging) school attendance problems (SAPs). The current article addresses this issue by comparing administrative attendance data collected by schools with self-reported attendance data from the same group of students (age 15-16) in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium (
= 4344). We seek to answer the following question: does an estimation of unauthorized absenteeism based on attendance data as collected by schools through electronic registration differ from self-reported unauthorized absenteeism and, if so, are the differences between administrative and self-reported unauthorized absenteeism systematic? Our results revealed a weak association between self-reported unauthorized school absenteeism and registered unauthorized school absenteeism. Boys, students in technical and vocational tracks and students who speak a foreign language at home, with a less-educated mother and who receive a school allowance, received more registered unauthorized absences than they reported themselves. In addition, pupils with school refusal and who were often authorized absent from school received more registered unauthorized absences compared to their self-reported unauthorized school absenteeism. In the discussion, we elaborate on the implications of our findings.
School refusal (SR) is a complex problem that may be caused by different risk factors such as individual and contextual factors (Kearney, 2007; Maynard et al., 2018; Heyne et al., 2019). These ...mechanisms can be described in the context of self-determination theory (SDT). For these reasons, the purpose of the present study is investigate the relationship between teacher perceived psychological control and support, psychological basic needs, SR behavior, and academic achievement, on adolescent sample. It is hypothesized that teacher perceived psychological control and autonomy support play a role on need frustration and need satisfaction; in turn, need satisfaction could reduce while need frustration could promote SR behavior and number of absences. Finally, SR behavior and number of absences could reduce academic achievement. 263 students (196 females, 67 males) with an average age of 16.14 (SD = 1.35; range 13-20 years). SEM analyses with observed variables have shown that the final model fit well the data, χ
(8) = 16.34,
= 0.04, CFI = 0.96, SRMR = 0.04, RMSEA (90% CI) = 0.06 (0.01; 0.10), showing the following significant path: need satisfaction was positively predicted by perceived teacher support and negatively predicted by teacher perceived psychological control; need frustration was positively predicted by teacher perceived psychological control; number of absences was negatively predicted by need satisfaction; SR was positively predicted by need frustration; school achievement was negatively predicted by SR and number of absences. These results have several implications for the school context and the deepening of the construct of SR and absenteeism.
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.
School can be challenging for autistic girls who are at risk of internalised anxiety which can ultimately lead to school avoidance. Low attendance is acknowledged as negatively impacting educational ...attainment and exacerbating mental health difficulties. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three autistic girls aged 13-15 years from different high schools, their parent(s) and key adult. Thematic analysis identified the first phase of re-engagement is developing a trusting student-key adult relationship. This provides the foundation for social and emotional intervention. Challenges were also acknowledged and possible improvements reflected upon. These results will aid educators and researchers aiming to support the successful inclusion of autistic girls at risk of experiencing emotionally based school avoidance in mainstream high schools.
In order to reduce school attendance problems and aggressive behavior, it is essential to determine the relationship between both variables. The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to examine the mean ...differences in scores on aggression, based on school refusal behavior, and (2) to analyze the predictive capacity of high scores on aggression, based on school refusal behavior factors. The sample consisted of 1455 Spanish secondary school students, aged 13-17 (
= 14.85; SD = 1.56). The School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (I. Avoidance of negative affectivity, II. Escape from aversive social and/or evaluative situations, III. Pursuit of attention from significant others, and IV. Pursuit of tangible reinforcement outside of school) and the Aggression Questionnaire (I. Physical Aggression, II. Verbal Aggression, III. Anger, and IV. Hostility) were used. Results indicated that students having high levels of Physical Aggression, Verbal Aggression, Anger, and Hostility received significantly higher scores on school refusal behavior. In most cases, school refusal behavior was found to be a positive and statistically significant predictor of aggression. Students that base their school refusal on the pursuit of tangible reinforcements outside of school earned higher scores, and other functional conditions underlying school refusal behavior were found to be associated with aggression issues. The role of aggression as a risk factor for school refusal behavior is discussed.
School attendance and school completion are important benchmarks of successful development. Unfortunately, school absenteeism and school dropout remain debilitating and prevalent conditions among ...youth. Stakeholders invested in promoting school attendance and reducing school absenteeism generally agree that multifaceted ecological frameworks are needed to account for these heterogeneous problems as well as differences across local education agencies and broader jurisdictions. A multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework emphasizes many aspects that match well with school attendance and its problems, including prevention and a continuum of supports, screening, evidence-based assessment and intervention, problem-solving and data-based decision-making, implementation fidelity, and natural embedding into extant school improvement plans. This article outlines a multidimensional MTSS model for school attendance and absenteeism to account for recent developments regarding service delivery within schools. Such developments include integrated models of multi-tiered service delivery to concurrently address multiple domains of functioning, the development of more nuanced approaches for students with various challenges, and consideration of three-dimensional (pyramidal) perspectives to allow simultaneous and yet nuanced strategies for several domain clusters. Sample domain clusters common to the literature that could populate the multiple dimensions or sides of a MTSS pyramid model for school attendance and absenteeism are presented. These domain clusters include (1) school refusal/truancy/school withdrawal/school exclusion, (2) functional profiles and analysis, (3) preschool/elementary/middle/high school, (4) ecological levels of impact on school attendance and its problems, and (5) low/moderate/high absenteeism severity. Recommendations are made as well regarding broader MTSS integration and implementation science vis-à-vis school attendance and its problems.
As noted in Part 1 of this two-part review, school attendance is an important foundational competency for children and adolescents, and school absenteeism has been linked to myriad short- and ...long-term negative consequences, even into adulthood. Categorical and dimensional approaches for this population have been developed. This article (Part 2 of a two-part review) discusses compatibilities of categorical and dimensional approaches for school attendance and school absenteeism and how these approaches can inform one another. The article also poses a multidimensional multi-tiered system of supports pyramid model as a mechanism for reconciling these approaches, promoting school attendance (and/or prevention of school absenteeism), establishing early warning systems for nimble response to school attendance problems, assisting with global policy review and dissemination and implementation, and adapting to future changes in education and technology.
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.
Purpose: This study aims to examine students' thinking process concerning truancy, namely thoughts that lead them to refuse to attend school after having previously attended as well as thoughts that ...result in their continued truancy. Method: The research participants were six students who had resumed school after truancy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed with a modified version of the grounded theory approach. Results: The truant students experienced notions such as pain from being too childish, comprehensive irritation, and unable to move their body after experiencing deep physical pain at school. The subjects who felt they were not "popular" fluctuated between "feeling protected" and "wanting to be accepted" while also continuing to feel "an adherence to the mainstream" to attend school regularly. If the feeling of being "protected" was strong, students harbored the thought that they would branch away (from the mainstream). In contrast, if the feeling of "wanting to be accepted" was strong, the students believed that "they could not fit in anymore," and had no choice but to continue truancy.
Forskningen på skolevegring har primært vært opptatt av å knytte vegring til forhold i familien eller egenskaper ved elevene og i mindre grad vært opptatt av skolemiljø og faglige vansker. Funnene i ...denne studien tyder imidlertid på at skolerelaterte faktorer og læringssituasjon har stor betydning som risikofaktorer for skolevegring. Artikkelen er basert på en spørreundersøkelse blant 672 foresatte til barn som strever med skolevegring, og utgangspunktet er følgende problemstilling: Strever elever med skolevegring også med faglig mestring og prestasjonsangst? Det er 61 prosent av de foresatte som oppgir at deres barn strever med det faglige arbeidet på skolen. Videre svarer 76 prosent at barnet engster seg for spesielle fag, 71 prosent svarer at barnet har prestasjonsangst, og 83 prosent opplever at barnet deres har lav mestringstillit. Det fremgår også at 28 prosent av de foresatte erfarte at barna hadde problemer med bokstavinnlæring før skolevegringen startet. Resultatene varierer en god del mellom barn med ulike diagnoser. Gjennomgående viser funnene at de med ADHD og/eller autismespekterforstyrrelse (ASD) har større faglige utfordringer enn andre som strever med skolevegring. Blant annet fremgår det at hele 80 prosent av elever med nevrodiagnoser har faglige vansker, mens dette gjelder halvparten av de med angstrelaterte diagnoser.
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