A child enduring relentless bullying on the school grounds. A student dealing with anxiety and ADHD struggling to enter a noisy, crowded classroom. An embarrassed teenager whose embarrassing photo was shared with the entire class.
These scenarios are not uncommon and can make attending school seem daunting for some children. Known as school avoidance or even school phobia, it occurs when school feels unsafe, leading to staying home as a form of self-protection.
Experts highlight this as a contributing factor to the increasing absenteeism observed nationwide, as revealed by a CBC investigation. The most significant rise in absences was due to reported illnesses, which surged in comparison to five years ago in all districts that monitored them. Some areas even saw triple increases, despite accounting for rising student numbers.
Norm Di Pasquale, a Toronto father and former school board trustee, is intimately familiar with this issue. By late October, his 12-year-old son William had missed approximately 10 school days due to bullying. William, a victim of bullies, shared how hurtful their words can be despite trying to shrug them off.
Standing at four feet six inches and with a facial twitch, William attributes his bullying experiences to his physical attributes. His father, Norm, highlighted that bullying incidents often lead to William resisting going to school the following day, showing signs like reluctance to get out of bed or complaining of feeling unwell.
According to David Smith, a psychologist and education professor at the University of Ottawa, who focuses on school attendance and bullying, numerous students skip school daily due to bullying experiences. The prevalence of bullying, now extending beyond school premises through social media and group chats, is challenging to quantify and not consistently tracked in available data.
Inconsistent collection of absence data across jurisdictions makes it challenging to grasp the full scope of the issue, as noted by Natasha McBrearty, a researcher at the University of Ottawa. She emphasized that school absences often indicate underlying problems such as health issues, transportation difficulties, technological changes facilitating remote learning, housing instability, or children working to support their families.
Based on the information collected by CBC News from various school districts, excused and unexcused absences, illnesses, and chronic absences have surged over the past five years. Mental health issues and anxiety-related absences can appear in different categories, depending on how they are reported or unreported.
Courtney MacLean, a mother from Bassano, Alta., shared her challenges in managing her children’s ADHD and anxiety-related school struggles. She stressed the importance of addressing mental health issues openly to ensure proper support and understanding from schools.
MacLean highlighted the need for more school staff trained to identify mental health distress signs and personalized support for students. Similarly, Norm Di Pasquale emphasized the importance of maintaining open communication with his son, William, to navigate the bullying incidents he faces at school.
Enhancing school safety, increasing adult supervision during recess, nurturing strong teacher-student relationships, and fostering a supportive school environment are crucial steps to help children feel secure and supported in their educational journey.