School Fear and Truancy in Adolescents
Author Information
Author(s): Hans-Christoph Steinhausen, Nora Müller, Christa Winkler
Primary Institution: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Zurich
Hypothesis
What are the frequency, stability, and correlates of school fear and truancy in adolescents?
Conclusion
School fear and truancy are common among adolescents and show different patterns of development over time.
Supporting Evidence
- The frequency of school fear decreased from 6.9% to 3.6% over three years.
- Truancy increased from 4.9% to 18.5% over the same period.
- Students with school fear showed higher internalizing problems compared to controls.
- Truants displayed higher delinquent behavior than both school fear students and controls.
Takeaway
Some kids are scared to go to school, while others skip it. This study looked at how often these things happen and how they change as kids grow up.
Methodology
The study analyzed self-reported data from 834 adolescents at two time points, focusing on school fear and truancy using questionnaires.
Potential Biases
Potential reporting bias as the data was based on self-reports from adolescents.
Limitations
The study relied on self-reported data and did not include actual school attendance records.
Participant Demographics
Participants were aged 11 to 17, with a near-equal gender distribution (48.4% males, 51.6% females).
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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