L8 Non-Attendance Flashcards
What are the legal school attendance requirements?
Expected to be in education between 5 and 16 years olds
Can be home schooled
Must be in education/training until 18
Persistent absentees - <90%
Severe absentees - <50%
What are the three forms of early typology in non attendance?
School phobia - severe difficulties with an attendance, emotional distress, at home
Truancy - absent without reason, no emotional distress, parents unaware, not at home
Other poor attendance - absent without reason, no emotional distress, at home
What are the more recent distinct forms of non-attendance?
School refusal - emotionally-based school avoidance, reduced attendance, significant reluctance, emotional distress
School withdrawal - absence motivated or condoned by parents
What is the difference between school refusal and truancy?
School refusal - anxiety, low in mood
Truancy - disaffected oppositional or defiant
How can we help mental health to increase attention?
Associated with emotional regulation problems
Negative thinking, low self-efficacy, and semantic complaints
If children feel less anxious their attendance may increase
What are the conditioning approaches to helping school attendance?
Classical conditioning:
- flooding = overwhelming them with fear, ethical considerations
- systematic desensitisation = gradual exposure
Operant conditioning:
- manipulating reinforcement factors
What is psychotherapy?
Addressing the anxiety through medical health services
Slow - not a rapid return
What if they won’t attend
Weak evidence for non CBT therapy
What is CBT/
Links thoughts, feelings, behaviour and physiology
Combining cognitive restructuring and coping skills
Widely accepted
When they feel anxious they have tools to use
What are the evaluative considerations for CBT?
It isn’t universally helpful for non-attendance problems
- high rates of persistent anxiety after psychotherapy
- 60% of children show little improvement
- outcomes are stronger with younger children
What are further issues with the sole focus being mental health?
- Lack of evidence about early intervention and prevention
- Identifying risk factors in hindsight
- Some cases spontaneous resolve
- Vicious cycle
What ae the functions of non-attendance?
Kearney and Silverman 1990
1. Avoid anxiety or fear
2. Avoid anxiety associated with social situations
3. Seek attention or avoid feelings of separation anxiety
4. Enjoy activities that non-attendance will enable
What is the systematic integrated cognitive approach by Havik and Injul 2021?
Interaction between the child’s personal qualities and appraisal of stressors in environment - personal factors can raise vulnerability
Activation of new coping strategies when stress outweighs coping resources
For some children, coping might mean avoiding
Avoid school alienation
What is the ecology of school refusal?
Relationship between child, school and home
Bioecological model of development
Development = child+process+context
What needs to be considered when looking at the school climate to prevent school refusal?
Order, safety and discipline
- bullying, disruption, monitor unstructured areas
Academic outcomes
- difficulty or anxiety around performance
School relationships
- peer contact
Supportive school facilities
- limited research
School connectedness
- adults believing in them
What are the family factors for school refusal?
Parental mental health
Unhealthy family functioning
Traumatic experience
Older parents
Youngest of several siblings
