Schools are opening. The little ones who have just started primary school have entered the orientation process. It is necessary to heed the warnings of experts against school refusal and crying crises, especially in students who will go to first grade. The situation, which mostly occurs in the form of separation anxiety, is seen in children who are raised in a dependent manner by their families. Intimidation, threats and violence should be avoided. The child should be approached with understanding. Expert support can be sought to understand the underlying causes.
Aynur Sayım, Child Adolescent Specialist Clinical Psychologist at Üsküdar University NP Feneryolu Medical Center, gave advice about the fear of school, which is experienced in many families these days.
Abdominal pain is the most important symptom
Stating that school refusal and fear of school manifests itself with various complaints, Specialist Clinical Psychologist Aynur Sayım said, "School refusal and fear of school is the situation experienced by the child in the form of fear of going to school, showing intense anxiety and panic symptoms towards school time. As school time approaches, the child has somatic complaints such as abdominal pain, headache, nausea. Crying, shouting, irritability, tantrums, and even vomiting-aggression may be observed as anxiety increases. After school hours, these symptoms disappear."
It is more common in children raised with addiction
Stating that fear of school can be recognized in various ways, Aynur Sayım listed them as follows:
1. It is mostly in the form of separation anxiety in children who have just started kindergarten and primary school. The child does not want to leave the parents or caregivers. It is especially seen in children who are raised dependent by their parents. Overprotective parents prevent the child from individualizing. The child has low self-confidence in social environments. He/she does not know how to behave when he/she is alone and is afraid.
2. It may be a reaction to a situation at school. Examples such as the attitude of the teacher, ridicule from friends can be given.
3. It can occur in psychiatric disorders. For example, it can be seen in psychiatric disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Specific Learning Disabilities, intellectual disability, conduct disorder, depression or social phobia. If family pressure is added to this situation, if the child is forced and judged, his/her anxiety increases, panic sets in and school refusal may turn into school phobia. The child may say that he/she is afraid of the teacher, that he/she cannot get along with his/her friends, sometimes leaving the classroom and running away from school can be observed.
These suggestions should be heeded
Stating what to do in cases of school fear or school refusal, Aynur Sayım listed these recommendations as follows:
- Intimidation, threats, violence should not be used and judgment should not be made.
- As long as the child does not go to school, starting school becomes more difficult. The family's approach of "Let's wait for a while, maybe it will pass" is wrong. The problem will get bigger.
- The child has an emotional reaction to a situation that disturbs him/her. The best approach is to recognize this and try to understand him/her. It is necessary to empathize with the child and try to understand him/her.
- Find out which situation and emotion is causing school refusal and try to solve this problem.
- For this, the family should seek help from a psychiatric center. Psychiatric approach and psychotherapy should go hand in hand.
- The family should be committed to the child's school attendance. However, the child should be made to feel that this problem concerns the whole family and not just the child.
- The teacher and the family should be in close cooperation. The teacher's reassuring and non-coercive style is important.
