When Going Back to School Feels Impossible: Understanding School Anxiety and School Refusal

As children and teenagers return to school, mornings can once again become difficult for some families. For some young people, school anxiety can lead to headaches, stomach aches, tears, anger or an overwhelming sense that they simply cannot go. But what if “I don’t want to go to school” is communicating something deeper than refusal? Understanding what lies underneath school avoidance can be an important first step in helping a young person feel safe, understood and able to reconnect with school.