Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA)

EBSA

Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA) is a broad umbrella term used to describe a group of children and young people who have severe difficulty in attending school due to emotional factors, often resulting in prolonged absences from school.  The impact of EBSA on young people and schools is far reaching.  Outcomes for young people who display EBSA include poor academic attainment, reduced social opportunities and limited employment opportunities.   EBSA is also associated with poor adult mental health.

We know that the earlier difficulties are identified and support put in place the more successful we are at developing children and young people’s ability to cope with their anxiety and develop their resilience to cope with life's challenges resulting in improved attendance and ongoing life opportunities.

There is no single cause for EBSA and there are likely to be various contributing factors for why a young person may be finding it difficult to attend school. It is well recognised in the research literature that EBSA is often underpinned by several complex and interlinked factors, including the young person, the family and the school environment (Thambirajah et al, 2008).

However Kearney and Silberman’s (1990) review of the literature indicates that there tends to be four main reasons for school avoidance:

1. To avoid uncomfortable feelings brought on by attending school, such as feelings of anxiety or low mood.
2. To avoid situations that might be stressful, such as academic demands, social pressures and/or aspects of the school environment.
3. To reduce separation anxiety or to gain attention from significant others, such as parents or other family members.
4. To pursue tangible reinforces outside of school, such as going shopping or playing computer games during school time.

At Hillmorton Primary School we are here to work collaboratively with parents/carers, and professionals, to support those children who show signs, or are suffering, from EBSA. It is vital that we act quickly to the early signs of school based anxiety and respond sensitively to any concerns. We look to parents/carers to inform us as soon as they possibly can about any signs of reluctance.

These signs could include:

• Children openly talking about not wanting to attend school
• Frequent tummy or head aches
• Children finding it increasingly more difficult to leave parents/carers to enter school
• An increase in sensitivity when conversations about school take place
• Reduction in social ability, maybe becoming isolated
• Spending time away/avoiding things that would previously not cause any distress
• Seeking more connection with familiar adults; this could also be displayed as 'fussy' behaviour
• Angry outbursts when the demand to attend school is made