Your child might miss a day of school every now and then – that’s pretty normal. But if it happens a lot, it might be truancy or ‘school refusal’. Avoiding school often happens around the same time as major changes in teenagers’ lives. These changes might include changing classes and schools, or starting secondary school. Another big reason for avoiding school is friendship problems.
Teenagers might avoid or wag school because they feel that nobody likes them or they don’t fit in, or feel anxious about family circumstances. If lots of these things are happening at once, it can be so upsetting that teenagers might feel disconnected from school or anxious about leaving the house.