Numerous kids who make an effort to skip school suffer from anxiety-related symptoms that they are consciously unaware of. They could have symptoms like headaches, stomach aches, nausea, dizziness, or hyperventilation, which are more common during the school week and less common on the weekends. Parents, guardians, and educators find school avoidance frustrating, and for some adolescents, it may become a vicious cycle that soon becomes ingrained in their behavior. This, in turn, causes worry about going back to school, which may result in more absenteeism and school avoidance.
What Exactly Is School Avoidance?
A student who avoids school is one who either can’t make it to class or finds it difficult to stay there all day. It’s crucial to understand that school rejection is a sign rather than a diagnosis. It usually affects kids and teenagers with underlying mental health conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or anxiety (generalized, social, or separation anxiety).
Anxiety in school that culminates in dropping out might be caused by an adverse event that happened there, such as being bullied or having trouble in school due to an unidentified learning condition. I’ve talked to several youngsters who avoid school and they say they don’t feel safe there. Being compelled to go and remain in school is an upsetting idea.
What Does School-Related Anxiety Look Like?
Children who stay home from school most of the time don’t know why they feel sick. It could be difficult for them to explain to you what is upsetting or uncomfortable for them.
School avoidance due to anxiety related to school might have symptoms that include emotional struggles with things like:
- Fear of not succeeding
- An increase in difficulties in school
- Issues involving other kids (such as being made fun of)
- Concerns about using a public restroom
- The perceived ‘meanness’ of a teacher
- Bullying on the Internet after school
- Threats of physical danger (as from a school bully) or actual physical injury
3 Factors To Consider When Students Are Missing School
If you are tired of your students skipping school and want to know the real reasons behind it, here are a few factors to consider:
1. Determine A Plan
Teachers really cannot impart knowledge to pupils who are not there in the classroom, either physically or emotionally. A comprehensive intervention strategy involving cooperation between parents, teachers, counselors, and school administration is needed to address school avoidance.
The first step in helping pupils who experience anxiety is for us as adults to learn self-control and to approach the student in a composed manner. Important actions that can be taken to provide a consistent and supportive approach include working with parents and caregivers to discuss the plan before the student arrives at school, informing the student of when and how to access support, and sharing this plan with classroom teachers and administrators.
2. Manage And Acknowledge Feelings
Teachers should educate kids on how to recognize, anticipate, and handle uncomfortable sensations rather than pushing them to avoid pain by removing all obstacles. With the use of this technique, it was seen that students who had trouble attending class started to do so more voluntarily, which improved attendance and their general academic performance because of increased time spent in class.
To change perspective accept fear and go on, this resilience-building technique asks pupils to express how they’re feeling and then follow that with the word and to describe what they’re attempting to accomplish. They also started using this tactic in other situations that caused worry.
3. Support A Growth Mindset
This tactic supports the growth mindset education we provide to pupils. We tell our pupils that when we push ourselves, take calculated chances, and learn to be comfortable in difficult situations, we can reach our ‘growth zone.’
Students who use the ‘Practice the And’ technique can change their way of thinking from avoidance to self-regulation, which in turn boosts their resilience and confidence. Students can also accept and learn about the transient nature of emotions by using the ‘Practice the And’ method.
What Can Parents Do To Help?
Here are a few steps parents can take to help their children cope with school avoidance:
1. Act Swiftly
It will be more difficult to get your child back on track the longer they miss school. Take every necessary action to deal with the problem as soon as it arises and as forcefully as you can. Parents might think ‘forcing’ a child to attend to school if the child is younger, can be a working strategy. However, children might end up having milder anxiety symptoms, or develop attention-seeking behavior.
2. Request Help From School
If your child does not currently have a 504 or IEP plan, email the principal and ask for an evaluation to determine whether your child qualifies for special education. If your child does have an IEP, get in touch with the case manager via email to set up a time for an IEP review meeting. Students who receive a medical diagnosis of anxiety (or any other condition) have to have the minimal right to accommodations through a 504 Plan.
3. Educate Themselves
Send an email to the principal asking for an evaluation to see if your child qualifies for special education if they don’t currently have an IEP or 504 plan. In the unlikely occasion that your child does have an IEP, schedule an IEP review meeting by emailing the case manager. If anxiousness (or any other) is diagnosed medically, students must have the bare minimum of accommodations through a 504 Plan.
Help Your Students Have Perfect Attendance
To help adolescents who avoid school get back on track, relatively straightforward interventions at home and school will be sufficient. But keep in mind that no two instances of skipping school are quite the same. There may be layers upon layers that need to be removed and dealt with. So, you as educators with a Professional Doctorate in Education Administration & Leadership must be able to understand the patterns and tackle them accordingly.
