School refusal

School refusal is a child-motivated refusal to attend school, or difficulty staying in class for the whole day. It happens by the child own volition, which sets it apart from absences where parents withdraw children from school or cannot bring them for reasons such as homelessness. It is marked by avoidance of school or emotional distress at the time of attending. Rates of absenteeism due to school refusal behavior appear in many ways and are defined, tracked and reported differently among schools and districts. Academic literature estimates that it occurs in 1 to 2 percent of the general population and in 5 to 15 percent of youth referred to clinics. This record is a reference summary of how the behavior is described, not medical advice.