SCHOOL REFUSAL BEHAVIORS A Best Practices Workshop

Also known as "school avoidance" or "school phobia," school refusal is a

term used to describe the signs of anxiety a school-aged child has and
their refusal to go to school.
2016-2017 causes may include:
2017-2018 escaping from social aversion or evaluation
2018-2019 seeking attention from significant others
2020-2021
seeking reinforcements outside of school
0% 5% 10% 15%
avoiding negative affect of school stimuli
Chronic absenteeism in California has risen
from 10.8% to 14.3%. Approximately 2-5% of
children refuse to come to school each year
due to anxiety or depression
(Wimmer, 2016).

Unexcused tardies Warning Signs Unexcused absences

Requests to call/go home during school hours.
Difficulty getting out of bed to go to school in the morning.
Frequent trips to nurse's office despite no apparent signs of illness.

The prevalence of unexcused absences from the school exceeds that of major childhood
behavior disorders and is a key risk factor for violence, injury, substance use, psychiatric
disorders, and economic deprivation

Counselor Supports: What can parents do?

Encourage students to be vulnerable
Provide or refer out for and open up about their
mental health services feelings/experiences regarding school
Re-Entry Planning without hostility or invalidation.
Reward system Address underlying causes like anxiety,
Involve families depression, social aversion, and
Provide "peer buddies" unhealthy dating relationships.
Charissa Schubert, Kendra Ostrovsky, & Laura Ang-Singleton