Every student deserves to feel confident, happy and safe at school. It should be a place where students are able to learn in the classroom, make solid friendships and have fun during recess and lunch times.
But sadly, this isn’t the case for every child. 1 in 14 children and teenagers in Australia experience anxiety, and often this is school-related.
At Anglicare Victoria, we care about making school a positive experience for every child. Here, we discuss the symptoms of school anxiety and how we can help a child who is experiencing it.
Symptoms of school anxiety
It’s important to remember that anxiety can manifest in different ways depending on each person. It’s the same with children and school anxiety – there are several possible signs, and they differ greatly. Some of the symptoms of school anxiety include:
- Expressing a fear or dislike of going to school
- Being worried frequently and needing to be reassured
- Psychosomatic symptoms which occur before going to school, such as nausea, stomach aches, shortness of breath or headaches
- Crying and being reluctant to leave a parent (separation anxiety)
- Unusual quietness
- Problems with sleeping such as complaints about being unable to fall asleep, nightmares or trouble sleeping alone
What causes school anxiety?
School anxiety can have a range of possible causes:
- Separation anxiety
- Problems experienced at school such as bullying, peer conflict, isolation, poor relationships with teachers, learning difficulties, etc.
- Fear of a new situation – if your child is starting a new year level or starting their first day at a new school, it’s normal for them to feel anxious
- Fear of failure at school, or worrying about subject content and homework being really hard
- Fear of losing a parent due to issues occurring in the home, or parent illness
What parents can do about school anxiety
Thankfully, there are several ways to combat school anxiety in your child:
- Encourage your child to be open with their anxiety about school
- Tell them how you cope with stressful situations and stay calm and positive – children tend to feel more stressed when they see that their parents are stressed
- Encourage your child to manage anxiety independently. While this can be difficult, giving children the impression that you will manage their anxiety for them often prevents them from finding ways to independently manage their emotions
- Talk to school staff about the services they can provide
Anglicare’s Meridian Youth and Family Therapy program
Another service available for students experiencing school anxiety is Anglicare Victoria’s Meridian Youth and Family Therapy program. Our Meridian program provides short, medium and long term support to help assist with a myriad of student-related issues, including school withdrawal, bullying, anxiety, behavioural problems, grief and loss, social isolation and many others.
Contact Anglicare Victoria to learn more about how we can assist you.
