Is School Anxiety getting in the way of your child’s school success? School Anxiety is a response to perceived school stress and can interfere with your child’s learning, developing a sense of mastery and prevent engagement and enjoyment. Optimal learning and engagement occurs when the mind is in a Calm Dynamic state. It’s a mind at ease, awake and tuned in. A mind clouded by doubts, worries and fears leaves little space for connection and learning.
The Centre for School Anxiety believes that every child deserves the opportunity to learn, to be engaged, to find their spark and to experience school success.
You will find a number of articles for this website that split this topic up. This one: Understanding School Anxiety, and A Parent Guide to Managing School Anxiety: Early Intervention.
The Centre for School Anxiety believes that every child deserves the opportunity to learn, to be engaged, to find their spark and to experience school success.
You will find a number of articles for this website that split this topic up. This one: Understanding School Anxiety, and A Parent Guide to Managing School Anxiety: Early Intervention.
Subtopics in this article
- The before morning struggle is real
- What are the long-term effects of School Anxiety?
- What is School Anxiety?
- The link between School Anxiety and School Refusal
- School Anxiety and Learning Difficulties. Why is my child struggling to learn at school?
- Do you know the signs of School Anxiety?
- Signs your child is struggling to cope with school
- When School Anxiety is Invisible
- Common Causes of School Anxiety
- Key Points of School Stress
- My Child needs help with School Anxiety. Where do I start?
- Summary
- References/Resources
every child deserves the opportunity to learn, to be engaged, to find their spark and to experience school success.
The before school morning struggle is real
Many parents struggle each morning to get their kids out the door and to school. This can range from countless reminders that it is time to get up, not being able to find socks, shoes, homework, getting lost in the digital scroll, sitting on the toilet until the bus has come and gone, headaches and stomachaches. For some families the morning struggle can mean doing everything you possibly can to smooth the runway. Driving them to school, finding their clothes, new alarms and setting up a school success schedule. You may have changed your job so that you can be there in the mornings.
Your emotions surrounding your child’s disengagement and seemingly lack of interest in school are an avalanche: frustration, shame, embarrassment, despair, anger, confusion and sadness. Other family members can become embroiled and family cohesiveness tested. Teachers can also experience the stress and frustration of helping an anxious student to engage.
Your emotions surrounding your child’s disengagement and seemingly lack of interest in school are an avalanche: frustration, shame, embarrassment, despair, anger, confusion and sadness. Other family members can become embroiled and family cohesiveness tested. Teachers can also experience the stress and frustration of helping an anxious student to engage.
Your emotions surrounding your child’s disengagement and seemingly lack of interest in school are an avalanche: frustration, shame, embarrassment, despair, anger, confusion and sadness. |
What are the long-term effects of School Anxiety?
Untreated school anxiety lessens the possibility that your child will experience school success. It can contribute to School Refusal, which in turn can lead to not studying, dropping out of school, and limiting career opportunities. Untreated it can lead to ongoing and worsening mental health, including the development of Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Depression, self-harm, and/or poor self-esteem.
Children who succeed academically and aren't showing outward signs of anxiety can relying heavily on avoidance and limiting exposure to anxiety provoking situations, missing out on the opportunities, experiences and friendships along the way.
The Centre for School Anxiety’s primary focus is on as early intervention to school anxiety as possible.
Children who succeed academically and aren't showing outward signs of anxiety can relying heavily on avoidance and limiting exposure to anxiety provoking situations, missing out on the opportunities, experiences and friendships along the way.
The Centre for School Anxiety’s primary focus is on as early intervention to school anxiety as possible.
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Children who succeed academically and aren't showing outward signs of anxiety can be relying heavily on avoidance |
What is School Anxiety?
School Anxiety describes a person's response when they evaluate a school situation as threatening their physical, emotional or social wellbeing. The response includes thoughts, internal body systems and outward behaviour.
Anxious feelings can come up when your child is thinking about school, getting ready to go to school, on the way to school, being at school, or doing their homework. Anxious thoughts and feelings prevent your child experiencing joy in the moment. They can interfere with functioning: e.g. concentration, communicating, friendships, family life or schoolwork.
School Anxiety may be intermittent, expected, unexpected, regular, reoccurring, or ongoing. It can be felt by the whole school, class or an individual. It may be due to unusual school events such as violence or student tragedy, an individually traumatic event such as bullying, or common school stressors such as exams, public speaking, and transitions.
Anxious feelings can come up when your child is thinking about school, getting ready to go to school, on the way to school, being at school, or doing their homework. Anxious thoughts and feelings prevent your child experiencing joy in the moment. They can interfere with functioning: e.g. concentration, communicating, friendships, family life or schoolwork.
School Anxiety may be intermittent, expected, unexpected, regular, reoccurring, or ongoing. It can be felt by the whole school, class or an individual. It may be due to unusual school events such as violence or student tragedy, an individually traumatic event such as bullying, or common school stressors such as exams, public speaking, and transitions.
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School Anxiety may be intermittent, expected, unexpected, regular, reoccurring, or ongoing. |
The link between School Anxiety and School Refusal
There is no one agreed way to talk about School Anxiety. Authors use a range of terms – Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), School-Related-Stress (SRS), School Refusal, School Can’t. The broadest definition of School Refusal encompasses behaviours ranging from difficulty getting out of bed to school, to school absence. And in turn moderate to severe School Anxiety can be seen in School Refusal
Refusing to do something is not necessarily a negative behaviour. For children with significant anxiety of or at school, they are judging that they don’t have the resources to manage the anticipated stress. Refusal, or fight/flight/freeze is a valid physiological choice. There is debate among many that School Can’t is a better conceptual definition than School Refusal, I disagree. It’s a very clear signal to adults that something is wrong.
Refusing to do something is not necessarily a negative behaviour. For children with significant anxiety of or at school, they are judging that they don’t have the resources to manage the anticipated stress. Refusal, or fight/flight/freeze is a valid physiological choice. There is debate among many that School Can’t is a better conceptual definition than School Refusal, I disagree. It’s a very clear signal to adults that something is wrong.
School Anxiety and Learning Difficulties: Why is my child Struggling to Learn at School?
The least recognized anxiety symptom in a poll by the Royal Children's Hospital published in 2022 was a child having little or no progress of learning. About two-thirds of parents didn’t associate lack of progress of learning with anxiety.
This highlights the complexity and dual relationship between learning difficulties and anxiety. Anxiety affects the ability to learn. And learning difficulties create anxiety. Your child can’t learn in a stress response state. Their energy is diverted into action to keep them safe. These actions can include behaviours that are repetitive, sensory soothing, or distractions. These actions may be visible or internal.
This highlights the complexity and dual relationship between learning difficulties and anxiety. Anxiety affects the ability to learn. And learning difficulties create anxiety. Your child can’t learn in a stress response state. Their energy is diverted into action to keep them safe. These actions can include behaviours that are repetitive, sensory soothing, or distractions. These actions may be visible or internal.
Whether your child's learning difficulties are causing anxiety, or anxiety is impacting on their ability to learn, the stress response state is stopping them from showing up fully and achieving school success. It's not uncommon, for children with diagnosed or undiagnosed learning difficulties to be mislabelled as lazy, disruptive, not trying, difficult, inattentive, or stupid.
If your child’s anxiety is mild and manageable, self-calming strategies can then help assist with focusing, engagement and enhance performance (with appropriate scaffolding). However, if their anxiety is too high, learning will not occur. At least not without repetition and significant effort once their brain has returned to a calm state.
If your child’s anxiety is mild and manageable, self-calming strategies can then help assist with focusing, engagement and enhance performance (with appropriate scaffolding). However, if their anxiety is too high, learning will not occur. At least not without repetition and significant effort once their brain has returned to a calm state.
Do you know the signs of School Anxiety?
Whilst about 7% of children have a diagnosed Anxiety Disorder (DSM-5), depending on age and research design, about 20-50% of children experience anxiety about school, at some stage.
Sometimes their anxiety is obvious. They may tell you. If they don’t say it, their body and actions may scream it loud and clear through persistent headaches, stomachaches, nightmares, fatigue, tears or anger.
However, anxiety is not always easy to pick up. A poll by the Royal Children's Hospital published in 2022 found that on average parents recognized only half of the 12 common signs and symptoms of anxiety.
And then there are children who hide their anxiety like skilled Ninjas.
Following are a checklist of signs in the morning, in the classroom, and outside of school that may indicate that your child may be struggling to cope with school stress.
(**this is not exhuastive, and for many of these signs there are alternative explanations such as skill development, trauma, tiredness, illness, learning difficulties, etc. What is important is that if the ticks are adding up and you don't understand why, school stress could be the reason.**)
Sometimes their anxiety is obvious. They may tell you. If they don’t say it, their body and actions may scream it loud and clear through persistent headaches, stomachaches, nightmares, fatigue, tears or anger.
However, anxiety is not always easy to pick up. A poll by the Royal Children's Hospital published in 2022 found that on average parents recognized only half of the 12 common signs and symptoms of anxiety.
And then there are children who hide their anxiety like skilled Ninjas.
Following are a checklist of signs in the morning, in the classroom, and outside of school that may indicate that your child may be struggling to cope with school stress.
(**this is not exhuastive, and for many of these signs there are alternative explanations such as skill development, trauma, tiredness, illness, learning difficulties, etc. What is important is that if the ticks are adding up and you don't understand why, school stress could be the reason.**)
Signs your child is struggling to cope with school
School Anxiety in the morning includes:
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School Anxiety in the classroom includes:
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School Anxiety outside of school includes:
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When School Anxiety is Invisible
It can be easy to miss the signs of anxiety. If your child suffers their school anxiety in silence, you may be unaware of the impact it is having. Because your child is 'well-behaved', and their academic achievement may be OK or even high, their teachers aren't concerned.
But your child may be managing their anxiety through highly skilled avoidance which has a powerful effect on their school experience and ability to experience school success. For while there are many children who drag their heels about going to school, many more kids go to school without argument and suffer in silence.
But your child may be managing their anxiety through highly skilled avoidance which has a powerful effect on their school experience and ability to experience school success. For while there are many children who drag their heels about going to school, many more kids go to school without argument and suffer in silence.
Your child may be managing their anxiety through highly skilled avoidance which has a powerful effect on their school experience and ability to experience school success.
Common Causes of School Anxiety
The biggest reported factor in causing anxiety at school is academic performance such as test taking and talking in front of the class, combined with evaluation and the outcome of school failure and/or punishment. For example, a 2017 report into OECD countries of over 500,000 student respondents aged 15-16 find that about two-thirds of students feel stressed about poor grades and just over a third reported feeling very tense when studying.
Other people are also a cause of school anxiety. This includes social evaluation, interaction with others, witnessing or being directly involved in acts of aggression and bullying. A report released by UNESCO in 2019 estimated that globally almost a third of school children between 9-15 are bullied for one or more days during the previous month (Evelyn Field, Bullyblocking: A guidebook for teachers, parents and counsellors).
There are also links between school connectedness and anxiety, but it is unclear what comes first – the worries or the disconnection (Pikulski). Neuruodivergent students and those with mental health difficulties also experience more stress at school (Senate Enquiry).
Other people are also a cause of school anxiety. This includes social evaluation, interaction with others, witnessing or being directly involved in acts of aggression and bullying. A report released by UNESCO in 2019 estimated that globally almost a third of school children between 9-15 are bullied for one or more days during the previous month (Evelyn Field, Bullyblocking: A guidebook for teachers, parents and counsellors).
There are also links between school connectedness and anxiety, but it is unclear what comes first – the worries or the disconnection (Pikulski). Neuruodivergent students and those with mental health difficulties also experience more stress at school (Senate Enquiry).
Key Points of School Stress
School is a stress, and like all stressors that’s not necessarily a bad thing. School is a learning environment where the aim is to develop new skills and knowledge in a range of areas. Learning cannot happen without engagement and stretching the mind and body to accommodate and assimilate new information, ideas and ways of thinking. This is a normal stress on the mind and body.
In light of the amount of stress points in a school day (see list below), some amount of anxiety at school is normal, especially at key stress times. For example, at the start of school many young children find it difficult to separate from their parent in the morning. The same behaviour from an older child starts to become age inappropriate depending on their neurodevelopment profile and home circumstances.
When the demands of the stress are too far beyond and your child decides that the stress is too much for them to cope with….cue School Anxiety.
In light of the amount of stress points in a school day (see list below), some amount of anxiety at school is normal, especially at key stress times. For example, at the start of school many young children find it difficult to separate from their parent in the morning. The same behaviour from an older child starts to become age inappropriate depending on their neurodevelopment profile and home circumstances.
When the demands of the stress are too far beyond and your child decides that the stress is too much for them to cope with….cue School Anxiety.
Aside from exams and bullying other stress points experienced by many students include:
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It’s never ending….
My child needs help with school anxiety, where do I start?
First, how big of a problem is stress and anxiety for your child?
If it’s overwhelming you or them, I recommend that in addition to reading this, that you seek professional help. Either with me, your GP, or your existing mental health practitioner. This help is not necessarily to get a diagnosis, although that might happen.
What I want for you and your child is to stop the overwhelm and access the calm so that your child can achieve school success. Early intervention is important in managing school stress and anxiety. Working with someone who isn’t living in your overwhelm can help you achieve this.
Prolonged or heightened anxiety is either telling you that right now your child is feeling at risk of harm and they are not coping or that they are at risk of harm. Either way their balance has been disrupted and their brain is in reactive mode. This is the time to act.
If it's not overwhelming, there are a number of evidence-based strategies available you can try as a parent when it seems that school stress is starting to beocme too much. You can look at using the NEON pathway outlined in the Parental Guide to Managing School Anxiety.
If it’s overwhelming you or them, I recommend that in addition to reading this, that you seek professional help. Either with me, your GP, or your existing mental health practitioner. This help is not necessarily to get a diagnosis, although that might happen.
What I want for you and your child is to stop the overwhelm and access the calm so that your child can achieve school success. Early intervention is important in managing school stress and anxiety. Working with someone who isn’t living in your overwhelm can help you achieve this.
Prolonged or heightened anxiety is either telling you that right now your child is feeling at risk of harm and they are not coping or that they are at risk of harm. Either way their balance has been disrupted and their brain is in reactive mode. This is the time to act.
If it's not overwhelming, there are a number of evidence-based strategies available you can try as a parent when it seems that school stress is starting to beocme too much. You can look at using the NEON pathway outlined in the Parental Guide to Managing School Anxiety.
Summary
- Experiencing stressful situations at school is normal, expected and an important part of growth.
- Stress becomes a problem when the demands it places on a student are greater than the student’s capacity or believed capacity to fulfil the demands.
- Many children experience school anxiety to some extent, at some time.
- There are peak periods of school anxiety for Year Levels, individual grades and individual students.
- There are certain stressful situations that will only impact on some individuals.
- Anxiety can be obvious or hard to see.
- Many children can manage intermittent school stress successfully, as their brain successfully regulates responses to stress.
- Children with mental health difficulties and neurodivergent children are more likely to experience school anxiety.
- Accessing your Calm Dynamic is blocked when you are anxious. Stopping you from tuning in to what is happening in the moment, thinking clearly, working through problems and making good decisions.
- School anxiety can get in the way of listening, understanding, learning, enjoyment, making friends, stepping into opportunities at school and school success in general.
- Prolonged or recurring anxiety can have devastating impacts on students including school refusal, academic underachievement, self-harm and more complex mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress..
- The Centre for School Anxiety believes that early intervention both in reducing the source of stress and in helping students access calm, is key to stopping anxiety worsening and becoming persistent and in helping more students achieve school success.
References/Follow up readings/resources
1. Royal Children's Hospital National Child Health Poll – Anxiety in Victorian children: What do parents know?
2. School connectedness and child anxiety. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools (2020) 30, 13-24.
3. Australian Government response to the Senate Standing Committees on Education and Employment report: The national trend of school refusal and related matters.
4. The Senate Standing Committees on Education and Employment report: The national trend of school refusal and related matters.
5. The impact of stress on students in secondary school and higher education. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth Volume 25, 2020 - Issue 1
6. Evelyn Field, Bullyblocking: A guidebook for teachers, parents and counsellors).
7. DMS5
2. School connectedness and child anxiety. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools (2020) 30, 13-24.
3. Australian Government response to the Senate Standing Committees on Education and Employment report: The national trend of school refusal and related matters.
4. The Senate Standing Committees on Education and Employment report: The national trend of school refusal and related matters.
5. The impact of stress on students in secondary school and higher education. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth Volume 25, 2020 - Issue 1
6. Evelyn Field, Bullyblocking: A guidebook for teachers, parents and counsellors).
7. DMS5
