subject: Social Anxiety Disorder In Kids: Fear Of School [print this page] When people think of a social anxiety disorder, they often picture a person getting up to make a speech and being unable to utter a word, or someone feeling like they simply can't walk into a large room full of strangers without acute anxiety. What most people don't imagine is a social phobia in which a child becomes almost incapable of going to school because of the associated fears. In fact, anxiety disorders in children aren't well known and don't tend to receive the same attention the disorders in adults.
It's possible that this social anxiety illness doesn't receive the public attention because it is often interpreted as something else. The child may be considered merely shy, and be given pep talks about self-confidence. Or the disorder may result in physical symptoms like vomiting or pain, which sends doctors searching for medical solutions to a physical problem rather than treatment for a school phobia. If the child tries to explain that they are afraid of something at school, often the parents don't give weight to the explanation, because those things seem inconsequential to them.
The genesis of this social anxiety disorder can often arise at home, though that isn't always the case. For example, if the parents tend to smother the child with attention rather than allowing increasing occasions of separation and loosening of control, the child can develop separation anxiety when sent to school. Or, as an example of problems arising at school instead, if a child perceives him or herself as looking too different from classmates, this can also trigger social phobias centering on the school.
What becomes problematic is if this social anxiety disorder is not diagnosed. If a doctor continues treating only physical symptoms or doesn't recognize the phobia as connected with school, then the fears could become chronic until overcoming social anxiety in general is almost impossible. Whether the problems stem from anxiety about separating from parents, or from body image fears or something else, steps need to be taken to mitigate underlying causes, so the child can go on to relate to school in a more relaxed and successful way.
Often, even if the parents haven't played a role in the child developing this social anxiety disorder, the entire family still needs to be involved in treatment. Even though the temptation is to allow the child to stay home, this will not ultimately help them in coping with anxiety and phobias related to the school situation. What is needed instead is a return to the structure of school, but with teachers and other school personnel giving subtle help to make the student's experiences better. This kind of desensitization, along with psychotherapy, is the best way of helping the child overcome this phobia.
