Going to school is a part of growing up. Every child has to attend school at some point in their lives. However, for some children the thought of attending school sends them running and screaming in fear. While it might seem unusual there is an actual psychological condition known as school phobia.

School phobia is the fear or refusal to attend school. Like other psychological conditions, school phobia comes with a list of symptoms and signs that a child may be suffering from such a condition.

School phobia symptoms include:

• Ability to find reasons to not attend school such as faking illnesses, or visiting the nurses office regularly when not sick.
• Throwing temper tantrums when heading to school or anything school related is mentioned.
• Signs of anxiety or apprehension when brought to school or the child is faced with school issues.
• A heightened ability to worry about others or themselves when the child is at school.
• Not wanting to be separated from a parent or caregiver when brought to school.

Psychologists believe that school phobias develop for one of two reasons. The first reason could be because there are issues within the home that is causing the child to worry about what is going on when they are in school. The other reason is because there are constant ongoing issues in the classroom. These classroom issues make the child feel anxious or worried about attending school, and that develops into school phobia.

Knowing the signs and symptoms of school phobia can help you determine if your child is suffering from it. The earlier you catch it the easier the treatment will be for you and the child.