From Anxiety Care
School phobia is sometimes confused with truancy - even by teachers
and educational workers. However, truants do not usually express or
display such high levels of anxiety, and nor do they flatly refuse
to attend school. It is just that there are other things they would
rather be doing. They are more likely to pretend to set off for
school, and then disappear on the way, or during the day, returning
home at the normal time, so that parents are often the last to find
out what is happening. Truants also tend to become involved in other
delinquent behaviour. They may also come from disadvantaged areas
and homes where there is not enough discipline, caring, or simple
parental interest. Their school work is likely to be rather poor and
they will probably show little interest in what the school thinks of
them.
This is in sharp contrast to the typical school refuser, who comes
from a stable home with both parents present and caring (if
sometimes over-protective) and who is often described as "always
such a good boy/girl - never any trouble before this". Typical
refusers may also be sensitive to the point of timidity, being
unduly wounded by adverse comments from teachers, and have
unrealistically high goals for themselves; they may then become
excessively upset at their perceived failures.
