THE CONTRIBUTION OF SEPARATION ANXIETY TO THE EMERGENCE OF SCHOOL REFUSAL BEHAVIOR AMONG FIRST-YEAR PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS

Abstract

This study seeks to reveal the extent to which separation anxiety contributes to the emergence of school refusal behavior, as well as to identify the levels of both separation anxiety and school refusal behavior among first-year primary school pupils. The clinical method was adopted, relying on case study, observation, interview, the Separation Anxiety Test by Aida and Al-Samiri Najah (2009), and the School Refusal Scale for children and parents, translated and standardized for the Arab context by researcher Hana Mazael Al-Dhahabi (2017). These tools were applied to three cases of first-year primary school pupils aged six years. The results concluded the following:

• Separation anxiety contributes to the emergence of school refusal behavior.
• A higher level of separation anxiety leads to a higher level of school refusal behavior.