Could My Child Have School Avoidance Anxiety?

A child with school avoidance anxiety has more than just a few "school jitters" and usually refuses to go to school on a regular basis or has problems staying in school. Do not confuse this with a child (usually adolescent) who is truant because of deliberate antisocial and juvenile delinquent behavior. There may be mental health issues with that child, but it is usually not because of anxiety.

School refusal or school avoidance anxiety is often a symptom of a deeper problem, and if not dealt with right away it can affect: socialization skills, self-confidence, coping skills and, of course, education.

Prevalence
It is estimated that school avoidance anxiety is a problem with 2 to 5 percent of kids in school. It seems to be most common around times of change, or transition, as in going from elementary to middle school and from middle school to high school. Younger children at the preschool to kindergarten level, are normally going through the very common experience of separation and some may have a harder time with it than others, but most will get over it on their own. Sometimes, severe separation anxiety can turn into School Avoidance Anxiety as the child grows older and the issues of fear and anxiety have not been treated.

Common Sources of Stress
There is a difference between different age groups and the source of the anxiety, but some of the more common stressors are:

Separation anxiety

Concerns about academic performance

Anxieties about making friends

Fear of a teacher or bully

Children with school avoidance anxiety are usually in the average to above average intelligence group and the most common ages it affects is the 5 to 6 and 10 to 11 age groups.

Physical Symptoms
Stress appears in various physical symptoms, as well as noticeable behavior changes. Here are some of the common physical signs of stress:

Headaches

Stomachaches

Nausea

Diarrhea

Behavior Symptoms
In addition to the physical symptoms listed above, they may display behavioral signs as well. Here are some of the common behavior signs of stress:

Tantrums

Inflexibility

Separation anxiety

Avoidance

Defiance

School avoidance anxiety is quite common and can be treated very effectively, usually through counseling. Finding and dealing with the source of the anxiety is a part of the process, as well as learning ways to deal with stress and stressful situations.

It is important that you get help for your child who is going through this type of anxiety because if left alone, the risk of developing other anxiety related disorders increases. Early intervention is critical in getting the best long term results, so see your doctor as soon as you suspect there may be a problem.