Fear of School - Is there really such a thing? / myLot

Gouverneur, New York

January 26, 2017 11:26am CST

This morning as I was reading my email I came across an interesting little piece of an article that had been sent to me by a teacher I used to work with. It was claiming that there is a phobia that is affecting about 5% of the preschool age children. This phobia is the Fear of School. It is one that sends a child into a full blown panic attack when they have to go to school. What? Who knew? I certainly didn't. Apparently it first shows up at about the age of 4 to 5 years old. It makes me wonder if it is related to separation anxiety in anyway. I am wondering if it is not another excuse to not go to school or if it is a legitimate phobia. It has a name - Didaskaleinophobia, but is it really a phobia? There are some psychologists that seem to believe that it may also be related in some way to ADD or ADHD. What do you think? Image from Pixabay : pixabay.com/en/old-photo-scared-boy-child-1959391/

3 people like this

2 responses

UmiNoor

@UmiNoor (4483)

• Malaysia

28 Jan 17

An excuse with a so called legitimate scientific name. I think most children have separation anxieties but that doesn't mean they have a phobia. That's what I think.

1 person likes this

Susan

@HazySue (39264)

• Gouverneur, New York

1 Feb 17

That's why I believe it might have a lot to do with separation anxiety, it's a normal thing for a child to develop and can potentially become a crutch if it isn't handled correctly.

1 person likes this

UmiNoor

@UmiNoor (4483)

• Malaysia

2 Feb 17

@HazySue Even I have separation anxiety when I first sent my children to school but as an adult, I kept it hidden inside. Children are less inhibited and that is why we can see how anxious they are when separated from their caregivers.

1 person likes this

Susan

@HazySue (39264)

• Gouverneur, New York

2 Feb 17

@UmiNoor I think most parents do have that touch of separation anxiety. It's how we it matters how we handle it.

1 person likes this

RedBurnet

@redurnet (1799)

• United Kingdom

1 Feb 17

I had a phobia of going to school but it was part of a more general social anxiety problem. I also found the schooling system put someone like me at a huge disadvantage. I had a couple of bully teachers too. I think lots of teachers are just power crazy and don't care about the psychological damage they do when they speak to kids as though they are scum.

1 person likes this

Susan

@HazySue (39264)

• Gouverneur, New York

1 Feb 17

There are so many reasons for a child to fear schools. Teachers, bullies, a fear of separation, fear of not being able to do the work. I think they try to pigeon hole all the child at times, they expect them to bed able to learn as quickly as the next and the same way as the next.