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Triggers of School Refusal and Returning to School

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N. Tokuchi, N. Ozaki, and K. Tanimoto 1
1 School of Nursing Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Japan

Background: In Japanese society, school refusal is defined as a student’s absence from elementary
or junior high school for 30 days or more per year, excluding those due to illness or economic reasons.
The number of the students have exceeded year by year. School Refusal is a problem that needs to be
addressed because it can lead to social maladaptation and Inhibition of self-esteem.

Objective: To identify the triggers of school refusal and returning to school from the narratives of
adults who experienced school refusal during their childhood.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven adults aged 20 to 42 who experienced
school refusal during elementary or junior high school. Their responses were analyzed qualitatively using
the Modified-Grounded Theory Approach.

Results: The analysis revealed two main categories. The trigger of school refusal was a “Situation of
Disagreement”, indicating negative feelings towards school life. The negative feelings included
stress of friendships, rejection of incompatible teachers, feeling uncomfortable in the classroom, and
difficulty in learning, all of which triggered their school refusal. The trigger for returning to school was “Creating
Agreement in an Unfamiliar Situation”. With the support of others, they made efforts to adjust to their
surroundings of friends, teachers, and school. This process helped them regain their self-esteem, which
became a trigger for their returning to school.

Conclusion: It is clear that the environment is the trigger for both cases of school refusal and returning
to school. The first step in providing support is to identify the individual specific causes of school
refusal. Then, it is important to create a suitable school environment for them. Furthermore, to
Poster Presentation Abstracts
enhance self-esteem and develop social skills, it is crucial not only to focus on the school environment
but also to provide opportunities for activity in broader school or community-based.

Keywords: school refusal, returning to school, self-esteem, social skills

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Correspondence: Nobuko Tokuchi, School of Nursing Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Japan
E-mail: tokuchi.nobuko@kagawa-u.ac.jp

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