The author is assistant chief social worker at the Pittsburgh Child Guidance Center and a member of the faculty of the School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh.
This paper is a review of the literature on breakdown in school attendance. The symptom is not confined to phobic conditions but can occur in any type of neurotic or psychotic disorder in children ...and adolescents. It is an aspect of a failure to develop an extension of relationships from within the family to relationships within the community. It has links with the later problems of absconding from hospitals and prisons and desertion from the Armed Services.
This study identifies factors that affect school refusal among preschool children in public schools of an Appalachian state. School refusal is defined as behavior through which children refuse school ...by active protest, inactive protest, or denial. A random sample of 198 preschool teachers representing 6,309 children provided the data for the study. Teachers completed three short questionnaires concerning both the school and the child's school refusal behavior over three time periods. Results show that 15.6% of the children manifested the symptoms of school refusal. Some findings were: (1) school refusers were more likely to be boys; (2) more than one third were youngest children; (3) fewer children who lived less than two miles from the school and who had had prior preschool experience exhibited refusal; and (4) fewer refusals occurred in part-day sessions and sessions held on consecutive days where parents were included and the teacher was experienced in early childhood education. The following categories describe the events preceding refusal behavior: (1) school regulations; (2) separation from friend or sibling; (3) bus fears; (4) academic demands; (5) new experiences or people; and (6) fear of gym or gym teacher. Seven patterns of refusal were identified, based on the time periods of the refusal. Recommendations for preventing school refusal deal with intake procedures, structure of the sessions, experience of the teachers, developmental needs of students, parental participation, and bus practices. The survey instruments are attached. (KS)
School refusal, as differentiated from both school phobia and truancy, is a term used to denote emotionally-based avoidance of school. To identify factors associated with school refusal, 41 junior ...high and high school students (including special education school refusers, special education non-refusers, and a comparison group from a regular classroom) were assessed using a fear schedule, a locus of control questionnaire, and a standardized diagnostic interview. Attendance information and academic achievement test scores were obtained from school records. Ratings of behavior problems at home and in school were obtained from parents and teachers. Results showed that in addition to high rates of fear and absenteeism, school refusers experienced family problems, anxiety, depression, somatic complaints, problems with peers, and a belief that they had little control over their academic performance. In comparison to the school refusers, their non-refuser, special education classmates had a more internal locus of control, were less anxious and depressed, and reported fewer problems with school. The normal comparison group was significantly less disturbed than the special education groups on most of the subscales reported. These results suggest that school refusal is not a unitary problem entity, but that it is merely one facet of a general socioemotional problem complex characterized by mood disturbance, social isolation, problems in relating to family members, somatic complaints, immature emotional outbursts, strange ideas, and feelings of helplessness. (Author/JAC)
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