It’s normal for children to be worried or stressed about school occasionally. At some stage in life, every person will feel pressure about difficult situations or decisions. But what about when school presents more than just a little worry here and there? What it if your child is exhibit signs of school anxiety?
As parents and carers, the first thing we want to do is figure out what’s causing our child’s anxiety in school so we can help them overcome it. Thankfully, there are services available for students experiencing anxiety in school, which we’ll touch on later in this post.
Here, Anglicare Victoria discusses 3 things that can cause anxiety in school:
- Bullying and peer conflict
Bullying in Australia is an alarmingly prevalent problem. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 70% of Aussie children aged 12-13 experienced at least 1 bullying-like behaviour within a school year.Bullying is therefore a leading cause of school anxiety. It’s clear why a child is reluctant to go to school if they’re being bullied; they view school as an unsafe place where their wellbeing is compromised and, rather than addressing the bullying itself, they wish to cut out school altogether.Peer conflict, while not exactly the same as bullying, is a related issue which can involve falling out with friends or being isolated from a friendship group. This can also cause anxiety in school, having a major detrimental impact on a student’s desire to attend.
- Mental or neurological health conditions
Mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression can also be the cause for anxiety in school. Conditions such as generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and depression as well as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder can make it difficult for children to perform well at school and to make friends. Getting treatment or support for these conditions is the best way to combat school anxiety in children.
- Family issues
Another leading cause of anxiety in school is trouble at home regarding family relationships. When things aren’t going well at home, particularly in the parents’ relationship, students can project this anxiety around school. It’s possible they feel the need to stay at home because they’re afraid about losing a parent due to family breakdown, believing that if they’re at home, they can protect their parents’ marriage.
Anglicare’s Meridian Youth and Family Therapy program
Anglicare Victoria offers an excellent service available for students experiencing school anxiety: the TEACHaR (Transforming Educational Achievement of Children at Risk) program. The 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.
