School phobia

School refusal is a child-motivated refusal to attend school or difficulty remaining in class for the full day. Child-motivated absenteeism occurs autonomously, by the volition of the child. This behavior is differentiated from non-child-motivated absences in which parents withdraw children from school or are unable to bring their children to school for circumstances such as homelessness. School refusal is characterized by avoidance and/or emotional distress at the time of attending school. Rates of absenteeism due to school refusal behavior manifest in a variety of ways and are defined, tracked, and reported differently among schools and school districts. Academic literature estimates that school refusal occurs in 1–2% of the general population and in 5–15% of youth who are referred to clinics.